Embers
by Midnight C
Summary: Finished! Sequel to Adrift in Despair, this picks up after the crew has left Lemuria. Many surprises are in store, but the best one of all happens when Garet and Jenna connect in a whole new way!
1. Infatuation

This story's been a long time coming, I think. I've hinted at doing a Garet/Jenna in both of my other fics and now I'm finally getting around to writing it. I don't see this one as being terribly long, but who knows? Again, this is working off of the first two, so Jenna and Sheba are aboard the Lemurian ship with the main GS cast, Isaac and Mia are an established item, and Felix and Alex are still at large (whether they're truly evil or not has yet to be determined ^_^). I might bump the censor to PG-13 later, depending on what my brain comes up with.

So without further ado, here now is the full glory of "Embers."

Disclaimer: nuS nedloG fo trap yna nwo t'nod I (hold it up to a mirror if you don't get it)

***Infatuation***

"Just five more minutes," Garet mumbled sleepily. Sunrise was far too early to function. What couldn't mornings begin later? (Heh, this is exactly how _I_ feel in the morning!)

"Up and at 'em, sleeping beauty," said Ivan in a singsong voice. "The sun's awake and it's time we were too."

Stupid Ivan, always so chipper in the morning. Garet buried his head under his pillow to muffle the annoying, perky voice. Moments passed, then four hands promptly shoved him out of his bunk and onto the cold wooden floor.

"Every morning it's the same thing," Isaac sighed. "You can't stay in bed all day, Garet. We have a ship to sail and a quest to continue."

It _was_ the same thing every morning. Always the same upbeat greeting from Ivan, the same sordid reminder from Isaac, the same shove to rouse him. Hungry for breakfast and resigned to his fate, Garet began another day.

************

It promised to be another uneventful day at sea. They were sailing into more southerly waters, which was a welcome relief from the cold that had surrounded them since they left Lemuria a few short weeks ago. It was supposed to be a new route back towards Tolbi to deliver the sacred draught to Babi. _Boring_. Business as usual for this time of day on deck. Isaac manning the helm, Ivan in the crow's nest playing lookout, and the three girls giggling about something as they stood talking by the bow. Garet studied the latter of these from where he sat on a barrel nearby, snacking on food rations as he sharpened a small collection of swords. He couldn't discern what the girls were saying, but each round of giggles made him cringe.

_Why are girls always making that noise?_ he wondered. _They sound like a group of ducks or something._

Truthfully, Garet hated the sound because he always thought they might be laughing at _him_. He was fully aware that he wasn't as smart as Isaac or Ivan but he hated to be made a fool of. Perhaps he wasn't brilliant, but he wasn't totally stupid either.

Still, it was nice having females on board. He found women terribly enigmatic but that also made them all the more alluring for some reason. And these three…well they were somehow better than the average girls on the streets. He eyed them as nonchalantly as he could while he sat there, making minor mental notes to himself.

There was Sheba, with her short, boyish blonde hair and huge eyes, which made her more cute than beautiful, kind of like a little sister. Bit of a prima donna, though—demanded respect and detested rudeness. Never treat a girl like a goddess or else it'll go straight to her head. Basically good-humored, except when she was telling people to be quiet. Though she never yelled at Ivan…

Speaking of goddesses, Mia practically was one. Why couldn't every healer in the world look like her? Sure would make getting injured or sick a lot easier to tolerate. Definitely needed to get someone like her to run the sanctum in Vale when this mess was over. She had this weird ability to take the panic out of most bad situations, kind of soothing like a waterfall. She was perfect for Isaac. He needed a woman capable of mending his inner wounds.

Then there was Jenna, the most interesting one of the three in Garet's opinion. In her own way, she was even more beautiful than Mia, with her dark eyes and cinnamon hair. They'd been friends for as long as he could remember, but it was only when Saturos had kidnapped her that he'd started to seriously question his feelings for her. They were deeper than mere friendship, but how deep? Was this love or just a fascination?

Garet watched her carefully as she conversed with the other girls, letting his mind wander. Her eyes lit up with lively sparks when she laughed, reflecting the fire within her. Hard to imagine one being so carefree after losing and being put through so much. That fire he knew she had was what drew him to her. That burning passion, so like the flames of Mars, made them very alike. Two conflagrations crackling side by side but never as one.

"OW!" he cried out, the sudden shooting pain jerking him out of his thoughts. He'd lost concentration on what he was doing and his hand had slipped and the edge of his sword had cut the side of his thumb. Bah! Stupid sword—why'd it done that?

"Problem, Garet?" Sheba asked.

"Naw, just cut myself is all," he replied. More light giggles. Mia came closer and cast Ply.

"You should be more careful," she warned. "I won't be able to heal one of your fingers should you cut it off."

Garet mumbled something under his breath. Jenna giggled again. "Sharpening a sword and you cut yourself? You're so clumsy, Garet!"

"Lay off, Jenna," he scowled. "I don't see _you_ volunteering to keep the weapons in shape."

"I'll have to if you chop off your fingers. Idiot." This last word she said almost inaudibly, but he heard it nonetheless. _Idiot_. Why was she always so mean to him?

"I'm not an idiot!" he said, rising. "That's a fine way for you to talk to the guy who trekked around the world to save your butt!"

"You wouldn't have made it past the Goma Mountains without Isaac leading you!" Jenna shot back. "Perhaps if you weren't so inept I wouldn't have to keep ridiculing you!"

"_Inept?!_" Garet roared. "I'll show you inept!" He started to raise one of his huge fists but was restrained by another hand.

"Same old story, isn't it?" Isaac implored; weary of having to keep the peace day after day. "Jenna, apologize to Garet. That's no way to be talking to an old friend."

Jenna's face resembled that of a child's when caught with a hand in the cookie jar. She bit her lower lip and walked away. Garet stared after her a moment, still annoyed and hurt at the same time. Then he resumed sharpening the swords.

"Don't let her get to you, Garet," Isaac said kindly. "You know there's no way we'd have gotten this far without you." Mia and Sheba nodded in agreement.

"It's my turn at the orb, now, right?" Sheba questioned.

"Just about," Isaac replied. "Maintain our southerly course. The map we got in Lemuria indicates that we're near land."

Sheba nodded and left for the orb. Mia took Isaac's hand. "Now I have you free for awhile."

Isaac smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. Garet eyed the two lovers with more than a hint of jealousy. Their romance was taking on legendary proportions now, and their devotion to one another had led the whole group out of many dire situations. Garet wondered if he'd ever experience a love like that or if he would just remain Isaac's goofy idiot sidekick for the rest of his life.

"Jenna seems to have been exceptionally hard on you lately, Garet," said Mia. "I wonder what's gotten into her."

"I think she just enjoys pissing me off," Garet scoffed.

Isaac whispered something in her ear and she left with a wide smile on her face. He seated himself on one of the other barrels. "Something bugging you?"

"No," said Garet.

"Don't lie to me, Garet—you're not good at it. I saw how bothered you were by Jenna's remarks and the way you were looking at Mia and I just now. What's on your mind?"

Garet half-grinned. Usually, he was the one who had to coax Isaac to open up. But he never felt comfortable discussing Jenna with anyone, not even his best friend. "Forget it. It's nothing."

Isaac lifted an eyebrow and silently stared at the sea. He had a good idea of what was filtering through his friend's head but he wouldn't press the issue. Garet was full of contradictions—a clumsy oaf yet a highly skilled fighter, wild like fire yet incredibly trustworthy, strong as an ox yet deeply concerned about others. He'd never been very good at expressing his real feelings for anyone and usually channeled it into anger or annoyance instead. Like after the Collosso tournament; Isaac had collapsed after his last battle and upon waking up, Garet had been highly annoyed with how long it had taken him to recover. Mia and Ivan had in turn scolded Garet for being so insensitive, but Isaac knew that his friend had actually been very worried—he'd just wanted to hide it.

"Well, if you say so," Isaac said. He picked up one of the other swords and started sharpening it.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ship, Mia had found Jenna leaning against the rail, dreamily looking across the ocean. "Don't you owe Garet an apology? Those were some pretty harsh things you said to him."

Jenna stayed silent, still staring at the sparkling blue sea. Mia went and leaned on the rail next to her. While there'd been some animosity between the two of them when they'd first met, now they were pretty close friends.

"Mia, how did you and Isaac fall in love?" she asked softly.

Mia's jaw dropped slightly, since this wasn't what she was expecting to hear. "What makes you ask that?"

Jenna turned a little red. "Well, I…I was just wondering. The two of you were already together when we met, so I just wanted to know how it happened. How did you know that he was…_the one_?"

Mia thought a moment to try and recollect everything accurately. "It didn't happen all at once, but I remember when I first saw him that day back in Imil. There was just something about him that drew me in—that warm aura around him and the depth in his eyes." She paused, thinking back to what seemed like so long ago. "The feeling just kept getting stronger and stronger as our journey progressed. By the time we'd crossed the Lamakan Desert, I was certain that I was in love with him, but I wasn't sure if he felt the same way. I didn't know what to do, only that I couldn't stand it whenever he got hurt—especially when he was trying to protect me—and that I didn't want to be apart from him ever, even if he didn't feel the same way."

"So how did you find each other?"

"It happened at the Venus Lighthouse. The whole place started to shake and collapse after we defeated the Fusion Dragon. A piece of falling shrapnel suddenly hit me from behind, and…well, my memory's kind of hazy after that. Isaac caught me as I fell, and I looked up and there was such terror and devastation in his eyes. He was sure he'd used all of his Psynergy during the fight and begged me to hang on. I thought I was a goner for sure, so I told him that I loved him, and he just kissed me." Mia blushed slightly and smiled at the memory. "That was the most incredible kiss. It was like parts of souls suddenly merged together and we were no longer separate but one. A kiss like that can only come from a love that's completely true and pure. Then I felt the warmth of his power flow into me and heal my wound, as if it had been triggered by that kiss. He held me so closely afterwards, like he'd never let me go, and it's been like that ever since."

"Wow," Jenna said after a pause. "That's like something out of a great novel. You're so lucky to have experienced something like that, Mia."

"I know. But why are you asking me about this now of all times?"

Jenna sighed, not quite sure if she should explain. "I wish I could know what it's like to feel a love like that—to be kissed like that."

"You'll know one day, I'm sure," said Mia. "Everyone has a soulmate somewhere in this world, and I'm sure you'll find yours soon enough. He might be closer than you think."

"I hope he is," Jenna whispered, barely audibly. Mia regarded her carefully and smiled.

"If you feel that strongly about Garet, you should tell him."

Jenna whirled, her face bright red. "How did you know?!" she demanded.

Mia chuckled. "Give me some credit, Jenna. How could I _not_ figure it out when you're constantly bickering with him? It's such blatant flirting!"

"I suppose I _am_ a little obvious. I wish I had the courage to tell him how I really feel, but every time I try to say something, I end up picking a fight with him instead. I don't mean to—it just comes out."

"That fiery nature of yours. I know it's hard to come to grips with these kinds of emotions, Jenna, but don't hold them in. They'll eat away at you. Trust me."

Jenna nodded, sighing again. "It's so hard. We've always been good friends, and I don't want to compromise that. But I'm not happy with the idea of being _just_ his friend forever. I want t to be something more."

"Don't give up hope," Mia said. "These things have a funny way of working out. You'll see."

"I hope so," said Jenna longingly. She looked back at the ocean, her mind wandering far away to thoughts of her love and how she could build up the courage to confess to him. 

************

"You were right, Isaac," said Mia. "Jenna _does_ have feelings for Garet."

"Naturally," he said. "I've known those two were meant for each other for years."

"Did Garet confess to you?"

"He didn't have to. I've known how he's felt about her before he even did."

Mia smiled. "Does this mean we get to play matchmaker now?"

Isaac shrugged in uncertainty. "Play with fire and you're bound to get burned. I think they just need a push in the right direction, but I hate to meddle."

She nodded. "We'll just have to watch them carefully and wait for the right opportunity to nudge them if need be. With any luck, they'll find each other before we even have to do so."

"Right. After all, if _we_ managed to end up together, there's definitely a good chance for Garet and Jenna."

---------------------------------------------------

More cheesy romantic-ness! ^_^;; Yes, I know I'm a hopeless case, but what can I say—it's just the way I am! Besides, I promised this fic to Garet and Jenna the last time they busted down my door, and I pride myself on being a woman of my word (not to mention I'm not stupid enough to mess with a pair of Mars Adepts…). Chapter 2 coming soon to an FF.net near you!


	2. Mistakes

I realized the other day that there are very few love stories primarily concerned with Garet in this entire section. It seems, barring some exceptions, that Isaac gets most of the action in practically _every_ romance fic. (I stand guilty as charged, of course.) I suppose that's since Isaac is our hero. (He's certainly my favorite male character anyway. I _dare_ you to take a guess at my favorite female character! ^_^) I didn't do a count, but I think Ivan has more romance stories than Garet too! Why is that, I wonder? *Shrugs* Maybe it's because poor Garet _is_ just the goofy idiot sidekick?

Garet: T.T Everyone loves Isaac and Ivan more!

Aw, don't worry Garet. Even a dork like you has plenty of fans.

Garet: Thanks, that makes me feel better…hey!

***Mistakes***

"Are we close to Tolbi yet?" Garet asked.

Isaac studied the map carefully. "Lemuria's here, and we've been bearing south-southwest, so we must be…here." He pointed. "And Tolbi is right there." The distance between the two spots was considerable.

"We're nowhere _near_ Tolbi!" Garet cried. "Isaac, I thought you knew where we were going!"

"I do!" Isaac insisted. "Babi's Lighthouse isn't far. If we sail northwest from here, it'll be in sight within days. In the meantime, let's get back on land and re-supply the ship. We're running low on provisions again."

"That's because _someone's_ been eating more than his allotted food rations," Ivan muttered, glaring at Garet.

"Why do you guys always assume that it's me?" Garet demanded.

"Because it _is_ always you," said Jenna. "You eat like there's no tomorrow. Having you around is like feeding a small army!"

Garet made a face at her. "It's not my fault I have a fast metabolism. It takes a lot of nutrients to keep this fine physique in shape, you know."

The others rolled their eyes. Jenna poked Garet's stomach with her index finger. "Fine physique my butt. You're getting soft, Garet. Too much food and not enough action will turn you in an even _more_ useless tub of flesh."

"Here we go again," Sheba sighed.

"Soft?! What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"That you're getting pudgy around the edges, dummy."

"Pudgy? You'll be begging for my muscles if we get into a monster fight on land!"

"I can take care of myself just fine. My Psynergy is better than yours anyway."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! And I've never set myself on fire before either."

"That's because you were too busy setting _me_ on fire!"

"You should've ducked!"

"You shouldn't have been practicing close-range like that! That's stupid!"

"Which you're the expert on, of course."

"Shouldn't we break them up?" Ivan asked.

Isaac threw up his arms in frustration. "With allies like this, who needs enemies? Let's go." He, Ivan, Sheba and Mia made their way down the gangplank to the dock. It took several minutes for the bickering Garet and Jenna to realize that they were alone.

"Where'd everyone go?" Garet questioned, looking around.

"Hey, guys!" Jenna cried, running towards the dock. "Wait up!"

The whole group made their first stop at the local inn to stay for the night, since the sky was already turning red. Naturally, dinner became the primary objective and the Adepts all ate with great gusto, devouring the food as fast as the inn's chef could prepare it. A freshly cooked meal was always far better than the rations they had to eat on board their ship.

"Ah, much better," said Ivan. "I always feel like my Psynergy's stronger after a good meal."

Sheba nodded in agreement. "It wasn't quite one of the feasts I used to have in Lalivero, but it sure was good."

"Uh, sir," the innkeeper began to Isaac. "Here's your bill."

"Thanks," Isaac said, taking the slip of paper. He glanced at it casually then immediately looked back at it and leaped from his chair. "WHAT?!"

Everyone jumped, except for Garet who was still too busy eating. "What's the matter, Isaac?" Mia asked.

He held up the bill for all to see, and their reactions were similar. "_2000 coins?!_"

"Garet, you pig!" Jenna cried. "You're going to eat us into poverty!"

"Why is it my fault?" Garet asked with his mouth full.

Ivan looked at the huge stack of empty used plates in front of Garet. "I think the answer's obvious," he sighed. "Did that break the bank, Isaac?"

"No," said Isaac. "But now we'll have to earn some extra money if we're going to properly re-supply our ship."

The others groaned. "Once again the fool has made our lives more difficult," said Sheba.

"Hey!" Garet said, swallowing. He pointed at Sheba with his mostly-eaten chicken leg. "I do almost twice the work around here, so I should get twice the food."

Sheba recoiled in disgust from the food in her face. "Twice perhaps, but certainly not five times the amount!"

"He's a bottomless pit all right," Jenna moaned in agreement. Times like these made her wonder exactly how she could love him so much. 

"There's just no pleasing you women," said Garet. "Maybe you're always so grouchy because you never let yourselves experience the satisfaction of being full." He finished the meat in his hand and shoved his last plate aside.

"Are you quite done?" Isaac asked, still slightly annoyed from the exorbitant bill.

"I think so," said Garet, sounding content as he rubbed his full stomach.

"Good," Isaac said. "Then _you_ can help the innkeeper clean up." He swiftly headed upstairs with the others.

"Hey guys!" Garet called. "Guys?" He looked at the immense pile of dishes on the table and swore to himself. Suddenly stuffing his face hadn't seemed like such a hot idea after all.

************

Jenna stared up at the inn's washroom ceiling as she tried to enjoy her warm bath. Mars Adepts had a natural aversion to water, but she liked the occasional long soak in the tub. And how else was one supposed to keep from feeling grimy and smelling bad? The water also helped rinse away the sense of disgust brought on by watching Garet eat. That always left her with a certain queasy sensation, since it was like watching some ravenous animal consume everything in its path. How could she love someone with such deplorable table manners? She was worthy of better behavior in her man, wasn't she?

But there were more dimensions to Garet other than his buffoonery. Underneath it all was a kind, warm heart with a strong sense of justice and righteousness. Not to mention that he was highly dependable. He'd stayed by Isaac's side during this entire ordeal, even after seeing things that would've sent most people screaming for mercy. And he was certainly handy with a sword and a brilliant fighter as well, albeit slightly impatient when the melees got particularly heated.

Garet had a tender side too, which always revealed itself at precisely the right time. On many occasions after the storm in Vale, she'd seen him sitting with Isaac at his most distraught. And in those instances, Garet hadn't been running his mouth or attempting to crack jokes; he'd simply sat silently beside his grieving friend, using his presence as a reassurance of support and brotherly love. He'd done that for her as well. A few times they'd been hanging out as usual, and something would suddenly trigger memories of her loss, causing her to burst into tears for no apparent reason. And Garet hadn't said a word. Rather, he'd pulled her into his arms and let her cry as much as she'd needed.

Jenna smiled. Those hidden layers were what made her love him. They were often over-shadowed by his oafish exterior, but they were still there--one only needed to look for them to see them. And his oafish side had its charms as well, despite the bad manners and numerous brain cramps. He could make her laugh like no one else, and that was important too.

__

Now if only I had the courage to tell him how I really feel, she thought. _Why are those three beautiful little words so hard to say? Mia did it, so why can't I?_ She sighed and started rinsing the suds off of her skin. It was getting late and she needed a good night's sleep.

Down the hall, Garet had finally finished assisting the innkeeper with the pile of dinner dishes and had returned to his room. This inn hadn't had enough free rooms, so they'd had to bunk up as normal instead. Isaac was reclined on his bed reading and Ivan was sitting on the floor meditating.

"Thanks for the help, guys," Garet growled lowly.

"You're welcome," Isaac said, not looking up from his book. "Of course, you really should be thanking yourself. If you hadn't run up such a huge bill, we wouldn't have had to exact our revenge."

"Consider it a way of paying your debt to us," said Ivan, opening one eye.

"Debt?" Garet questioned. "I helped earn that money too!"

"Yes, but you seem to spend more of it than anyone else," Isaac said.

Garet grumbled audibly at his friends, wishing that for once everyone would stop ridiculing him. Was loving food really such a bad thing? And he certainly wasn't pudgy at all, so what was the harm in filling himself? It helped him sleep and made it easier to focus on other matters. Whenever his stomach growled, he could barely think of anything else, even if he was in the middle of something important like a battle.

Ivan stretched and rose from his spot on the floor. "You guys turning in?" he asked.

"To what?" Garet implored.

"That's such an old joke," said Isaac with a small laugh. He shut his book and yawned. "I suppose that would be wise. Tomorrow we have to find some extra cash and get going again."

"I'll be glad to put an end to all of this sailing," Garet said. "I don't care for being surrounded by water day in and day out." He started for the door.

"Where are you going?" Ivan asked.

"Nature call," Garet replied, exiting.

"He's something else, isn't he?" Ivan questioned.

Isaac nodded. "I'm still trying to figure out _what_ though." He rolled onto his side to sleep when a blood-curdling scream suddenly shook the entire building. Leaping to attention, he and Ivan dashed down the hallway, meeting Mia and Sheba on the way, to find the source of the sound. The four of them found a dripping wet Jenna hastily wrapped in a towel hyperventilating with rage at Garet, who had fallen to the floor. Both of them had beet-red faces.

"GARET!" Jenna shouted at him. "Why didn't you _knock_?!"

"H-How was I supposed to know you were taking a bath?" he asked nervously.

"The door was closed! You should've knocked!"

The other shook their heads, trying hard not to laugh. "Garet, you idiot," said Ivan. "Basic courtesy dictates that one knock before opening a closed door--especially a _bathroom_ door!"

"I didn't _see_ anything, Jenna!" Garet insisted to defend himself. "I swear I didn't!"

Jenna's face was twisted in anger and embarrassment. Her temper was even hotter than normal as she continued ranting at Garet. "You jerk! How could you! How _could_ you!?" She unintentionally started to cry. She'd never been so embarrassed in her entire life. Not only had he caught her without a strip of clothing on but it'd happened in a public place too!

"Jenna!" Garet said uneasily. He never liked seeing her cry and in this uncomfortable situation it was far worse. Dammit, why hadn't he had the good sense to knock? "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"

"Come on, Jenna," said Mia gently, putting her arm around her. She led her back to their room, Jenna still sniffing audibly. Sheba shut the door behind them.

"Well that was an unnecessary disaster," Ivan sighed. "You're a real winner, Garet." He went back to their room.

"Are you all right, Garet?" Isaac asked.

Garet held his head in his hands. "That's one for the record books, isn't it? Jenna's never going to forgive me for this."

"Yes she will. Just give her a little time to get over the shock. It's actually kind of funny in a way."

"_She_ certainly wasn't laughing!" He sighed. "I must be the biggest oaf in all of Angara. I can't believe I made her cry!"

Isaac tried to smile in reassurance. "It was an accident, plain and simple. Don't beat yourself up over it, Garet. I'm sure Jenna will forgive you in time. She's not the kind to hold a grudge indefinitely."

Garet wasn't so sure. Even if Jenna did forgive him, he had a feeling this unfortunate incident would hang over them for awhile. And he'd actually made her cry! There was no way he could hope for deeper relationship with her after causing that. You're not supposed to make the one you love cry--he was certain of that. He'd blown his chances with Jenna for sure now. Why was this love stuff so hard?

----------------------------------------------------------

I hope that was at least mildly amusing. It sure was fun to write, I'll tell you that! ^_^ You gotta feel sorry for Garet though. How does he get himself into these messes anyway? Well, as Shakespeare says, the course of true love never did run smoothly!


	3. Flames of Battle

Thanksgiving Break rocks! Not only did I get to pig out on turkey and see lots of relatives but I got to do plenty of writing too! Of course, now I have to go back to college and deal with the absolute horror of horrors--FINALS!

This chapter has a few references to my first fic "Against All Odds." I didn't really mean for this to happen, but I kinda wrote myself into a hole. Just thought I'd mention that in case something doesn't sound familiar to any of you.

***Flames of Battle***

After considering their options, the Adepts decided that trying to earn money in the village would take too long. The pay for temporary help in any of the businesses was slim at best; so they chose instead to earn money the old fashioned way–by treasure hunting. Some of the townsfolk talked about ancient ruins not too far away, so the group decided that those might be worth investigating. At the very least they might find some easy monsters that would drop a few extra coins.

So with weapons in hand, they left town and headed in the direction of these ruins. Jenna wasn't her normally chipper self as she was still mildly upset about what had happened last night. She couldn't even look at Garet without stirring up that embarrassment, and since he seemed to be avoiding her, she assumed that the feeling was mutual. It _was_ pretty funny, she supposed, but she was unable to laugh at it just yet.

"How much money do we have to make?" Mia asked.

"Thankfully not as much as we lost," Isaac replied. "I'd say if we make a fast 1500 coins we should be OK. We've made more than that in one day of adventuring before."

Mia nodded in agreement, leaning against his shoulder. He smiled and put an arm around her waist, both of them oblivious to the looks that the two Mars Adepts were giving them. Looks of both jealousy and longing. _It's not fair_, Garet thought. _How come Isaac makes it look so easy and I can't even spill my guts to Jenna?_ He stole a quick glance at her. _If I weren't such an idiot maybe it would be easier. It doesn't matter now–she must hate me for walking in on her last night._

Unknown to him, Jenna was thinking along the same lines. _They make it seem so easy_, she thought._ So why is it so difficult?_ She looked over at Garet briefly. _I should forgive him for last night. I'm sure he still feels pretty badly about it._ _So he caught a quick look at me without my clothes on–it's not the end of the world._

"How far were these ruins?" Ivan questioned.

"The people I talked to said only a few miles," said Isaac. "With any luck, we'll be there before long."

"It would be nice if we had some signs to point us in the right direction," Sheba said. "This path isn't well marked."

Isaac checked the sun's position. "Well, they said the ruins were due south, and that's where we're headed. We should see some clues soon."

"Oh look, there's a sign," said Mia, pointing.

Ivan squinted at it, since the letters were quite faded. "It says, 'Ahnyana Ruins–Danger.'"

"Danger?" Jenna questioned. "I thought they were just abandoned ruins."

"Maybe they're haunted," said Sheba.

"You believe that kind of crap?" Garet scoffed. "There's no such things as ghosts."

"I'm willing to believe just about anything after all we've been through on this trip," said Isaac. "We'll have to be on guard."

"Right," Mia agreed.

As the group continued down the path, none of them were aware of the two pairs of eyes that were spying on them from deep within the brush.

"Wow, look at this place!" Sheba exclaimed when they'd reached the ruins. "It's amazing!"

It appeared to have once been a small village. At the center of it all was a massive, crumbling temple that nearly touched the sky. Smaller, unrecognizable buildings surrounded it in a tight radius like ancient guards of some secret. Thick ivy vines had coiled themselves around all of the old stones, partially hiding the decay. No one had been here in a very, very long time, and it was like walking right into the pages of a history book. The only sounds were their footsteps and the distant chirpings of birds.

"I wonder what that temple was built for," Mia thought aloud. "It must've been beautiful long ago."

The group members spread out a bit to inspect parts of the ruins more closely. Isaac pulled some ivy away from a placard near the temple, only to discover that it was inscribed with runes that he couldn't read. He traced his fingers over the symbols, wondering what sort of story they told. Mia studied the placard with him. Ivan and Sheba migrated to some of the other dilapidated buildings, discovering broken carvings and other strange objects buried under the ivy. Garet's eyes traveled up the temple and he wondered if it was safe to enter or if it would collapse on his head. He'd never seen anything so tall other than Mt. Aleph. Jenna paced idly around the long-forgotten village paths that circled the temple, admiring the unique scenery and keeping one wary eye on her fellow Mars Adept.

"So where's the treasure?" Garet finally asked.

Isaac moved some more vines aside and discovered an entrance to the temple. "Maybe inside. But it looks a little dangerous."

"Oh, but it is far more dangerous out here in the open," said a foreign voice. The Adepts craned their necks in search of the source of the sound. After a moment, they spotted two shadowy forms standing atop one of the old stone buildings.

"Who are you?" Ivan questioned.

The two shadows leaped into the air and landed before the group. The first was a huge, muscular man with green skin clad in thick armor and holding a gigantic sword. His companion was a woman with red hair and purple-ish skin wielding a lethal-looking scythe. Both of them had abnormally large, pointed ears and deep red flaming eyes.

"Are you the one called Isaac?" the woman asked.

"Who wants to know?" he replied.

"Don't cross us, boy," said the man, taking a few steps closer. "We're not here on a pleasure trip. You see, if you are Isaac, and I think you are, then my companion and I are very interested in you."

"And why might that be?" Mia demanded.

"Because it was a warrior named Isaac and his friends who killed my sister Menardi and her companion Saturos," the woman said.

"And we have reason to believe that this same Isaac killed many of my best fighters in a raid on my village," the man continued. "Somehow he even managed to kill my guard captain Valerdo and steal a Mercury Adept we earned in a fair trade."

"Human beings are not possessions that can be traded," said Isaac. "Now for the last time, who are you?"

"I am Agatio of the Fire Clan of the North," the man said dramatically. "And this is Karst, one of my finest warriors. Now, are you or are you not the one called Isaac?"

The Adepts didn't waver, refusing to be intimidated by these bullies no matter who they were. They drew their weapons. "I suppose I can't keep my identity a secret any longer," said Isaac. "Yes, we are the ones who defeated Saturos and Menardi, and I am the one who raided Tartarus and killed Valerdo. Satisfied?"

"Not quite," Agatio said smugly. He swiftly lunged for Isaac, while Karst immediately sent out jets of flame, forcing the group members to scatter in all directions. The sound of clashing steal echoed all around the ruins as the mighty Fire Clan warrior put all of Isaac's best sword tricks to the test. His weapon clashed against the Gaia Blade again and again, each blow forcing Isaac further back even as he dug his heals into the ground. It took all of the strength he had to keep the enemy sword away from his body, and even then every muscle in his arms quivered, threatening to give out. His feet skidded and tore up the grass as Agatio continued to push him backwards.

"This is one battle you cannot win, boy," the hulking man sneered. His blade ignited and blasted Isaac away into one of the stone buildings and then he sent out an inferno. Isaac jumped out of the way, the flames narrowly missing him, and charged back, casting Quake Sphere. The tremors had little effect, and Agatio met the Gaia Blade ready for more. The shining light of the Titan Blade attack took him off guard, but he immediately countered with a quick burst of fire. Isaac leapt as high as he could, gripping his sword with both hands, but Agatio was prepared and struck him near the ribs. As Isaac crashed to the ground, Agatio prepared to plunge his sword right through him. Luckily, even with blood rapidly seeping from his wound, Isaac managed to roll between Agatio's legs and avoid the deadly thrust. He cast Cure on himself and spun back around to continue his fight.

Karst made it her job to keep the others from interfering with Agatio's duel. Trapped amid a ring of choking flames, the other five Adepts couldn't see their target clearly. Mia did her best to keep the fire from getting too close, but she couldn't seem to extinguish it completely.

"It's too hot!" Sheba coughed through the rising smoke. "I can't focus my power!"

"Mia, do something!" Ivan said.

"I'm trying!" she said, casting Douse again. "It takes time to put out an inferno!"

Garet and Jenna weren't as bothered by the heat as the others, and they were able to keep a closer eye on Karst as she fed the flames. Taking matters into their own hands, they leaped right through the fire to attack. Garet clashed his sword against a surprised Karst's scythe, and Jenna started shooting out her best fiery attacks, even though they wouldn't do much good against another Mars Adept. When Karst attempted to blast Garet away, she found her Psynergy to be less effective as well.

"This'll teach you to mess with us," Garet said confidently as he kept swinging his sword, forcing her back.

"How do you intend to fight me?" Karst asked. "Your powers are just as ineffective against me as mine are against you."

"Brute strength," Garet replied, pressing his attack. "And one other small trick I have." His sword glowed and suddenly unleashed a column of water, soaking Karst and knocking her over. He mentally thanked whatever little voice had told him to carry the Silver Blade today, as now that choice was being well rewarded.

Finally, Mia got the fire under control and she, Ivan and Sheba started unleashing all of their best attacks in every possible direction. A sharp blast of ice and part of a Shine Plasma attack temporarily distracted Agatio from his duel. Karst, already quite wet, was hit by Tornado winds and thrown further back into the ruins. The six Adepts regrouped together and braced themselves for the next stage of the battle.

"Why do these things always come back to haunt us later?" Garet asked. "I figured we were done with these Fire Clan freaks after that Tartarus incident."

"Such is the life of an adventurer," said Isaac, panting slightly. Agatio was a much more powerful fighter than either Saturos or Valerdo, and he rarely left an opening for an attack. Defeating him would hardly be an easy task.

Karst came rushing back bearing her scythe. She set her sights on Mia, figuring the Mercury power should be eliminated first. Mia swiftly cast Ice Missile, and Ivan and Sheba assisted with Shine Plasma. Agatio charged towards Isaac and their blades clashed again, but this time Garet was there to help with both his bigger muscles and his water-based weapon. Jenna, unsure of how she could be of assistance, cautiously worked her way around the frays to get into a better position. A stealth fire attack might be more effective.

Just as it seemed that the Adepts were gaining the upper hand, Karst unleashed an incredible blast of fire, scorching Ivan, Sheba and Mia. Sheba fell, and Mia started to cast Wish to heal the damage, but was halted by another swift shot of flame, rendering her unconscious. Ivan staggered to his feet and cast one Destruct Ray attack before the pain overtook him as well. At that same moment, a vexed Agatio cast his own storm of fire, partially burning Isaac and Garet and knocking them a short distance away. He started to laugh, but was suddenly hit with an enormous fireball. Since it caught him completely off guard, it managed to burn a small hole in his armor and sear his hands. Jenna mentally praised herself for her dead-on attack and started to move to aid Garet and Isaac.

Thoroughly enraged, Agatio set his sights on the one who'd managed to wound him. His hands fully ignited as he aimed with a deadly intent and perfect accuracy. The fire flew from his palms, letting out a war cry as it spiraled towards its target.

Garet was not normally a fast runner, but when he saw the incredible inferno hurtling towards Jenna, he suddenly had the speed of the wind. He grabbed her and immediately unleashed Flash just a nanosecond before the fire hit. The force of the impact was still too great, however, and both of them went flying into one of the old buildings. That made the crumbling structure shake violently and it collapsed, burying both of the Mars Adepts under a huge pile of solid stone.

"Garet! Jenna!" Isaac screamed. The dust had settled and he made a mad dash to the spot. Karst and Agatio were laughing at him madly as he furiously tried to dig his friends out of the rubble, the glint of tears appearing in the corners of his eyes.

"And so it ends," Agatio declared. "You've put up a good fight, boy, but you've finally made your last stand."

"How shall we finish him, Agatio?" Karst asked coyly.

Isaac turned to his adversaries, still not willing to give up. He brandished the Gaia Blade. "Go on, then. Give me your best shot."

"A warrior to the end, aren't you?" Agatio implored. "Very well then. Karst, let's use our _special_ technique."

She snickered. "Fine with me." They both raised a single hand and pointed at Isaac. In a flash, their palms flared up and he was suddenly engulfed in a torrent of lava that popped up underneath him. In a last-ditch effort, Isaac managed to call up Granite to soften the blow, but the intense heat and charring pain overwhelmed him and he saw no more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Another patented cliffhanger! ^^;; Please don't kill me! I had no idea what kind of weapons Karst or Agatio actually use, so I just took a guess. I'll try to get Chapter 4 up as soon as possible, but I can't guarantee anything with school constantly threatening to interfere with my writing. *Groan* College can be such a pain in the butt.


	4. Ablaze

Despite my polite pleas, almost everyone still gets mad at me when I leave off at a cliffhanger. Sheesh…now I'm even getting threats of bodily harm from a certain person with a crystal sword. Am I really _that_ evil?

Hmph. Well, the threats don't go unnoticed, but I will remind you readers that there is _always_ a method to my madness! ^_^

***Ablaze***

The ruins were peacefully quiet again, as if nothing had ever happened to disturb them. The golden silence masked the terrible battle that transpired only a short time earlier, and the only evidence that remained of the event were the burn marks in the grass. Slowly, a pile of stones shifted and rolled away and Garet emerged from within, covered in dust but otherwise unscathed. Flash's power had successfully protected them from both the fiery blast and the stone avalanche.

"Well that was fun," he griped. "Are you OK, Jenna?"

"Yes," she coughed, coming out of the rocks behind him. "Thank you, Garet. That was a close one."

"Tell me about it." He brushed off some of the dust and looked around, seeing nothing. "I guess Karst and Agatio are gone. But where's Isaac and everyone else?"

Jenna paced around and saw no sign of any of their friends. She could feel something sinking in her gut. "They're gone! Oh god, you don't think Agatio…"

"No!" Garet said firmly. "Don't even let yourself think that. Isaac's gotten himself out of worse scrapes than this."

She nodded reluctantly. "But then where are they? They wouldn't just abandon us, would they?"

"Maybe they were forced to retreat," he suggested. "I'll bet they ran away to shake off Agatio and then they were going to come back for us."

"Or they might think we're a lost cause. Let's face it--most people wouldn't be able to survive being buried under a pile of stone."

Garet shrugged. "Who knows?"

They stood there in silence together, observing the scorched grass and the disturbed ruins around them. Jenna wished she could be optimistic about her friends' fate, but something deep within her told her that she should prepare for the worst. "What are we supposed to do now?" she asked. "We can't just stay here--Agatio might come back."

"Right. I guess the only thing we can do is try to find them. See any clues about where they went?"

She walked a little ways and stepped in some abnormally squishy ground. A large amount of water had been here very recently, but she distinctly remembered seeing Mia collapse moments before Agatio had launched those flames. And there were four sets of footprints leading away from the ruins, two sets going in one direction and the two others going in another direction. The first two sets, judging by other footprints in the area, belonged to Karst and Agatio, but the other sets didn't look familiar. Too big to belong to Ivan, Sheba or Mia, and the stride was too long to be Isaac's. What had happened here?

"Garet, look at this," she called. "Strange footprints."

He studied them a moment but they didn't look familiar to him either. "Should we follow them?"

"I can't think of a better idea. Let's go."

They walked in silence, keeping a close eye on the ground to make sure they were following the correct route. Both of them wondered what had happened to the rest of their crew and hoped with all their might that everyone was OK. And another thought also crept into the backs of their minds--they were alone together. Jenna unintentionally kept glancing up at Garet and then casting her eyes back at the ground when she caught herself. It took him a few minutes to notice this behavior, since his mind had wandered off as usual, but he eventually did.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked.

"No," Jenna replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you keep looking at me. Something wrong?"

Jenna tried to hide her blushing. "No, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about the fight."

"What about it?"

"Well, I've never seen you run that fast before, Garet. It was like some mysterious force suddenly boosted your speed. How'd you manage that?"

Now Garet colored slightly. "Uh…well, I just didn't want to see you get hit by Agatio's blast. Mars Adept or no, no human could escape a fire like that unharmed. I'm allowed to protect you, aren't I, Jenna?"

"Yes," she said with a small smile. "I'm glad you did, actually. You saved my life. I don't know if I can repay you for that."

"Well…you could forgive me for that little incident last night…"

Jenna giggled. "Oh, _that_."

"What do you mean 'oh that?'" he demanded, irritated. "You made me feel like a complete moron! Don't tell me it was all a front!"

"No, of course not. I've never been more embarrassed in my life." She giggled again. "But in retrospect, it _was_ pretty funny, I guess. Tell me, Garet--did you _like_ what you saw?"

"Just what are you insinuating?!" he asked angrily, turning redder.

She broke down into laughter. "You're so much fun to pick on, Garet!"

He half-frowned. "Yeah, well don't make me regret saving your life. If you aren't nice to me, maybe I'll let the next fiery blast hit you."

"You would not."

"Oh wouldn't I?"

Jenna shoved him playfully. "Liar."

Garet pushed her back. "Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!" This time his push was a little too hard and Jenna lost her balance and fell over. She smirked up at him and then jumped and tackled him to the ground. She pinned him and forcibly wrenched his arm behind his back.

"Surrender now or I'll twist it harder!" she declared, still giggling.

"Ouch!" Garet yelped. "OK, OK--uncle, uncle!"

Jenna released him, looking satisfied, but continued to sit on top of him as she laughed. Garet grumbled to himself, since this was only the ten millionth time he'd lost to her in a 'sparing match' of sorts. Somehow, he was always powerless against her no matter what he did. _Sheesh_, he thought. _One of the strongest Adepts I know of and I'm completely helpless against one measly girl! How'd I let this happen to me?_

"Are you going to get off of me sometime this year?" he asked.

"I don't know--you're a pretty comfortable seat." She smiled again, the sparks dancing in her eyes. "But I guess we'd better keep following that trail before it grows cold." She rose and dusted herself off. Garet did the same, though he was still grumbling to himself under his breath.

"Don't be such a grump," Jenna teased.

"Grump?" he questioned. "Are you ever going to stop calling me names?"

"No." She blushed and suddenly blurted out her next words. "But I can't think of anyone I'd rather be traveling with right now."

They both smiled at each other with slightly pink faces, and then continued following the mysterious footprints.

************

"Crikey! How far did these feet walk?"

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, making it darker and harder to see the trail. They'd lost track of how long they'd been following the prints yet they were still walking across the prairie with no trace of any other life forms in sight.

"I wish I knew where these things were leading us," Jenna said. "I'm getting a really bad feeling about the others."

"They're all right," said Garet with all finality, even though he was starting to have doubts himself. _Dammit Isaac, where are you?_ he wondered. _If you have the nerve to get yourself killed before I find you, I swear I'll beat you to a pulp_.

"Aren't you worried about them too? Be honest with me."

"Yes," he replied reluctantly. "But that doesn't mean we stop looking or give up hope."

She nodded in agreement. They were coming to a small clump of trees. Not really big or dense enough to be a forest, but it definitely wasn't open space either. "Maybe we should stop there for the night," she said. "It's getting late."

"Tired already?" Garet asked half-mockingly. "And you accuse me of being a wimp."

Jenna scowled. "Don't test me, Garet or I'll set you on fire again."

Something rustled in the thicket ahead, and it didn't sound human. Garet stuck out an arm to halt Jenna. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" she asked. Then the rustling sounded again. "What was that?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it." He drew his sword and she brandished her staff. The thicket rustled once more and then the thing came into view. It was an enormous purple lizard and it looked both mad and hungry—a dangerous combination. It opened its mouth and hissed upon seeing the pair, obviously thinking it had finally found its next meal. But this was one meal that wouldn't go down without causing a serious case of indigestion first!

"What is that thing?" Jenna cried she sized up the creature.

"Looks like a Thunder Lizard," Garet replied. "We fought a bunch of these at the Venus Lighthouse, but none of them were this big. What has this guy been adding to his diet?"

The beast lunged at them, gnashing its huge teeth. Considering its size and its short little legs it moved with alarming speed. Jenna dodged a swipe of its razor-sharp claws with an impressive backflip and then blasted it with a fireball. The lizard hissed in annoyance and kept pursuing her, snapping its maw as it craned its neck to try and take a bite out of her. Garet cursed his lack of speed as he tried to sneak up behind the beast and get within range. Jenna leaped into the air and brought her staff down on its head with a hard thunk. Now even more annoyed, the lizard opened its mouth and bit down on her staff, snapping it to splinters. She looked at her broken weapon in disbelief for a moment and then jerked back to her senses.

"Well that's not good," she said nervously as she retreated. "Garet, do something!"

"I'm on it," he called, finally close enough to strike the lizard. He cast Eruption, smacking it with a volcanic blast from the ground. It did little other than scorch the lizard's scales, and it whirled in anger. Hissing madly, it lunged at Garet, biting down on the Silver Blade which luckily wouldn't break. He skidded backwards as he tried to wrestle his sword out of the giant teeth that were mere inches from his face. Jenna spread her arms, surrounding herself with a ring of flame, and let loose a raging inferno. That successfully dislodged the beast from Garet's sword, but now it turned to her with open mouth and a glow gathered in the back of its throat.

"Jenna, move it!" Garet cried. "You don't want to get on the business end of that!"

The Thunder Lizard exhaled a white-hot stream of lightening that incinerated everything in its wake. Fortunately, Jenna had gotten out of the way in time and it was mainly the shrubs that went up in smoke. She got to Garet's side, panting from running and out of sheer panic.

"What the heck was _that_?!" she gasped.

"Storm Blessing," he replied, sounding rather spooked himself. Bigger lizard, bigger blast. "Ivan got hit by that once and he almost didn't live to tell about it."

"All right, I'm officially scared now. How do we beat it?"

Angry at its failure to make Jenna a crispy critter, the Thunder Lizard reared back and roared with all its might. Then it went after the two Adepts in a fury, swiping with its huge claws and snapping its jaws. They managed to dodge, but only barely.

"Dammit, where the heck is Isaac when I need him?!" Garet demanded as he evaded another jab. "These things are vulnerable to earth Psynergy. One Ragnarok would knock it into next week!"

Jenna accidentally tripped over a rock and fell to the ground, leaving her an open target for the deadly teeth. When the head loomed in, she quickly threw some dirt in its eyes and rolled out of the way as it thrashed madly. She launched another scorching fireball, which only provoked it more. But since it was still temporarily blinded, it never saw the sword that came down with a lethal thrust into its head. The Thunder Lizard roared, contorted, and then dissolved to harmless ashes. Garet and Jenna both exhaled sighs of relief and seated themselves against one of the trees to take a well-deserved breather.

"Let's not do that again," she said.

"Fine by me."

They sat there catching their breaths for a few moments and then started to gloat over their rather miraculous victory. Who needed Venus Psynergy? They'd just killed that huge beast all by themselves!

"You know, we make a pretty good team, Jenna," Garet said. "Maybe we should get lost together more often."

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing. For someone whose so clumsy day to day, you sure do fight with a great deal of finesse."

"Thanks for the complimen—hey! I am _not_ clumsy! Things just happen to get in my way once in awhile."

She giggled. "Oh, Garet. What would I do without you to pick on?"

"I think you'd go mad from the boredom," he said shrewdly. They both chuckled, meeting each other's eyes. Slowly, without even realizing what they were doing, they leaned in closer to each other and met in a long kiss. 

_Fire_. The burning embers within them rose up into full flames of desire, the likes of which neither of them had ever felt before. How long they kissed they did not know. All that mattered was that the heat, the raw spark of passion, had been ignited. The two crackling torches that had long existed side by side had combined into one incredible conflagration of true love.

When they finally pulled away from each other, they were stunned into silence for several moments and just looked into each other's eyes. They couldn't fully comprehend what had just happened. It had felt like some sort of fantastic dream.

"Wow," Garet finally said quietly.

"Yeah," Jenna agreed, blushing brightly. "That was…_amazing_."

He grinned. "Can we do it again?" Speechless, yet deeply pleased, she nodded enthusiastically.

So they did.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Ta-da! Took them long enough, didn't it? ^_^ I'm sure you're all wondering "what the hell happened to the others?" Never fear—you'll find out in Chapter 5. The fire may have ignited, but this story isn't over quite yet!


	5. Reminiscing

Thanks to all of you for the great reviews. Nothing makes me happier than knowing people are enjoying my writing! ^_^ Special thanks to Genichiro Tsukiomi for the information about Karst and Agatio. I've been trying to avoid _really_ big spoilers on TLA so I've been taking some big guesses on the stuff I know we'll find out when that game reaches US shores. Apparently I'm a better guesser than I thought! And to anyone else wondering where Kraden is, I'm still not sure if he'll ever make it into this story or not. We'll just have to wait and see.

This story has indeed turned into a true sequel to both of my earlier works, so expect more references to things that happened in both of those stories. It seemed like the best way to keep the plot interesting, since even I (the hopeless romantic) know that _too_ much mushiness can be bad for one's digestive track. Maybe I should just label my stories as parts of a trilogy? ("The GS Romance Saga?")

***Reminiscing***

Voices, distant and unrecognizable, reverberated around Isaac as he slowly began to regain his senses. Idle chatter, it seemed. He was vaguely aware of a familiar hand interlocked with his own, and then an intense, burning sensation on his chest hit him as hard as a thousand pound rock; the shock of the pain almost made him scream at the top of his lungs. He clenched his teeth as hard as he could to refrain from doing so. His skin felt like it was on fire, charring, singeing every single nerve. Mercifully, a pleasant cooling sensation flowed from the other hand and that dulled the fire slightly.

"Mia, you're going to wear yourself out," said Sheba. "Let him wake up and then worry about healing that burn."

"I don't want him waking up to something so unpleasant," Mia said, her voice worried. "Don't you remember how badly your burns hurt? And his is even deeper so it takes more time and power to heal."

Sheba shrugged. "All right, but don't complain when you've exhausted all of your Psynergy and can't function yourself."

Mia frowned slightly and cast Ply on Isaac again, which she'd been doing in steady intervals for the past hour. She was getting pretty tired, but she refused to give up until she was sure he was all right. When the light from her power receded, his hand squeezed hers back.

"Isaac?" she asked softly.

The azure orbs slowly opened. He smiled slightly at the sight of his guardian angel. This was a pleasant way to wake up despite the horrible burning feeling. "Hey," he greeted faintly. "Did I miss anything important?"

"Apparently we all did," said Ivan. "The last thing I remember was trying to blast Karst to kingdom come and then I woke up here."

"We all did," Sheba added. "Peculiar goings on. But at least we're alive."

"You got hit really hard, Isaac," Mia said. "What happened to you?"

"Some lava-based attack from Agatio and Karst," he said through gritted teeth. "I used Granite right before it hit, but I guess it didn't work completely."

Granite materialized beside him and squeaked in remorse. "Sorry about that. That was the strongest attack I've ever tried to block. I managed to fend off all of it except in one small spot by your chest."

"Well, it's better than being a pile of ashes. Thanks, Granite." Granite bobbed and disappeared again. Isaac attempted to sit up and instantly regretted it. Mia cast Ply again, even though she was clearly tired.

"Don't move just yet," she said. "That burn on your chest is being quite slow to heal because I'm still a little drained from the fight."

He nodded. "So where are we?"

"In a cave in some forest," Ivan replied. "Whoever brought us here probably saved us from Agatio as well. We woke up and there was this little fire going and everything, but no sign of our savior. Our wounds were even partially healed and Mia finished the job easily, but I guess we got out of that fight in better shape than you did. She's been doting over you for the past hour or so."

"And what about Garet and Jenna?" Isaac asked.

Sheba shrugged. "We've seen no sign of them. They weren't here when we awoke."

Isaac recalled seeing his two other friends getting buried underneath the ruins. Whoever had brought them here must not have known the Mars Adepts had been there. Question was, were they still there or had they survived? _I saw the light of Flash when Garet snagged Jenna_, he thought. _I hope that was enough to protect them from those falling rocks._ "We need to go look for them."

"We will," said Mia. "But not now. None of us, especially you, are in any shape to travel just yet." She whispered in his ear. "And now those two might have some quality time alone." He smiled slightly at this.

"I'm more interested in figuring out who brought us here," Ivan said. "I'm sure Jenna can find a way to keep Garet from doing anything too boneheaded, so I'm not overly worried about them."

"Jenna has a good head on her shoulders," Sheba agreed. "And Garet actually _listens_ to her most of the time."

They heard footsteps just then, and a silhouette appeared in the cave's entrance. "Oh good, you're all awake," said a cheerful and somewhat familiar voice. "I'm sorry I left you all alone like that, but someone had to go find dinner." The figure walked closer and came into the light from the fire.

"Picard!" the others exclaimed in surprise and relief.

"What are you doing here?" Ivan asked. "I thought Lemurians were forbidden to travel to the outside world."

"Normally, yes," Picard replied, setting down the fish he'd caught. "I was out sailing one day and got swept away in a typhoon. My ship was totaled, so I have no way to return home for the time being. I was actually hoping I might run into all of you again. It seems my journey was well-timed."

"Then you must've chased off Agatio," said Mia.

Picard nodded. "My new companion and I were in the area and we heard sounds of battle. When we got there, all of you were already on the ground, and those warriors were preparing to deliver the final blows. We managed to chase them off without too much trouble, thanks to my Psynergy and the fact that they were already weakened from their fight with all of you. I did some initial healing and we then brought you back here where it's safe."

"We?" Sheba questioned.

"When I made it to shore I was met by a pleasant fellow not much older than you," Picard explained. "He was alone as well, so we decided to stick together in case of a bad situation. Turned out to be a good idea, especially after meeting those nasty Mars Adepts. You'll get to meet him later. He's out looking for Garet and Jenna right now." He started cleaning the fish. "I do wish we could've reconnected in better circumstances, but I'll try to make it up to you somehow."

"You saved our lives, Picard," said Mia. "There's little you can do to surpass that."

"Lady Mia…" he trailed with a smile. He noticed how Isaac was struggling to move. "Oh, my apologies, Isaac. I thought I healed all of that." He cast Ply, and since he wasn't already battle worn, the power was stronger and fully healed the burn. Isaac quietly sighed in relief, still a bit sore but able to move with far less trouble.

"Thank you, Picard," he said as he sat up. "Once again you've been an invaluable help to us."

"You're most welcome, Isaac. Anything for a friend."

They reminisced happily as they ate. Ivan, Sheba, Mia and Isaac explained their journey since leaving Lemuria weeks ago and Picard relayed some tales of his experiences in the outside world, some of which were quite amusing.

"This place is full of new dangers and unusual people," Picard said. "I don't know what I would've done without Felix to help me make sense of it all."

The others went wide-eyed and gaped at their Lemurian friend. "What did you just say?" Ivan asked. "Did you say your companion's name was _Felix_?"

"Yes, that's right," Picard replied.

"Does he have long brown hair and wear a green scarf?" Sheba pressed.

"Yes," said Picard, puzzled by their apparent unease. "Do you know him?"

Isaac's expression had hardened considerably since the mention of the name. "He didn't tell you then?" he inquired. "Felix didn't mention that he knows us?"

"No, not at all." Picard looked quite confused. "Is something wrong?"

"Felix is the enemy we've been chasing all of this time," said Ivan as flatly as he could. "He's the one who set our entire quest in motion nearly a year ago."

"You mean _he's_ the individual you've been trying to find and capture?" Picard exclaimed in disbelief. "But that can't be! He's been nothing but helpful to me!"

"Likely because he didn't realize you were friends with us until now," Isaac said, his voice forcibly calm. "Felix is not to be trusted—not at all. He'll turn on you, Picard. Mark my words."

"He never used to be a bad person," Sheba elaborated. "But he did something to Mia that was simply unforgivable. Despite the fact that he saved my life once, I'm inclined to agree with Isaac—he's not to be trusted."

Picard looked to Mia, who had fallen silent. The mere mention of Felix's name had stirred up all the memories of her internment in Tartarus, an experience too terrifying to describe. She had been able to block it out for the most part, but the thought of seeing the one who'd traded her to the Fire Clan again sent a paralyzing chill down her spine. She started to tremble all over and she hugged Isaac fiercely, who naturally returned it.

"Lady Mia?" Picard questioned. "What exactly is Sheba talking about?"

Mia shook her head, unwilling to give voice to the experience. "I guess your friend Felix left out that little detail too," said Isaac bitterly. "Felix and his accomplice Alex kidnapped Mia and traded her to the Fire Clan in exchange for an object he needed. I barely managed to get her out of there alive."

"What?" Picard was visibly stunned. "You mean the same Fire Clan that that awful Agatio is from?"

"The same," Isaac replied. "Then I don't need to tell you how cruel those people are. They used her like a tool, Picard, and then left her to rot in a jail cell!" He swallowed the outrage re-igniting inside of him. "I swore to myself that if I ever saw Felix again I would rip him apart with my own hands. There is no excuse for doing something like that. Human beings are not possessions that can be given away like currency! That he would willingly hand over Mia—a Mercury Adept no less—to the likes of Agatio's clan…it's _criminal_!"

Picard, still shocked by this revelation, nodded in agreement. "Lady Mia, I'm so sorry. I had no idea…"

She nodded to acknowledge his sympathy but kept her head buried in Isaac's chest to hide her tears. She squeezed Isaac harder, if that were possible since she'd been bordering on cutting off his circulation already. It was hurting the sore spot where the burn had been, but he said nothing and just returned her embrace, though not quite as tightly. Silence hung in the air for quite awhile as Picard absorbed the story. The Felix he'd been traveling with for the past few weeks seemed incapable of doing such an unthinkable act, yet judging by how upset Mia was, he knew this was no lie.

"You said Felix was alone when you met him," Ivan finally said. "So you never saw Alex?"

"No," Picard replied. "Who is this Alex?"

"My former apprentice," said Mia quietly. "He betrayed our Clan by assisting Saturos and Menardi in lighting the Mercury Lighthouse."

"The Mercury Lighthouse has been lit?!" Picard cried.

"Yes," Sheba said. "As well as the Venus and Jupiter Lighthouses."

"But how can that be?" Picard demanded, sounding genuinely frightened. "The Elemental Stars were sealed away long ago to prevent this from happening! Those beacons aren't supposed to be lit—it would unleash the full powers of Alchemy upon the world!"

"We know," said Ivan. "That's why we've been on this quest. Isaac and Garet were instructed by the Wise One to retrieve the Elemental Stars and prevent the beacons from being lit. The rest of us joined up along the way."

"And we've failed miserably so far," Isaac lamented. "Saturos and Menardi, two more Fire Clan warriors, lit the Mercury and Venus beacons. Felix lit the Jupiter one. But no one's going to light the Mars beacon as long as I'm around. I have the Mars Star."

Picard sighed heavily. "Well thank Mercury for that." He shook his head solemnly. "I had no idea these events were transpiring. That is the problem with living in a place like Lemuria; one is completely unaware of the outside world. I don't know what to say now; this changes everything. I shall have a few choice words for Felix when he returns. But does this mean that Garet and Jenna will be trouble if he finds them?"

"I doubt it," Isaac said. "Felix is Jenna's older brother, and he obviously still cares for her. I'd be more worried about what _Garet_ will do to _him_."

************

Mia couldn't sleep. She was safely huddled next to Isaac but she was still restless, thinking about Felix, Tartarus, and the Fire Clan. That ordeal she'd tried so hard to forget was replaying over and over again in her mind and she couldn't make it go away.

Isaac wasn't asleep either and he could feel the fear radiating off of her. "It's all right, Mia," he said quietly. "I'm not going to let Felix or anyone else hurt you like that ever again."

"I know. I trust you more than anyone, Isaac. It's just the memories…I can't shake them, not when I know I might have to face him again. And it's not so much what the Fire Clan did to me—it's what they almost did to _you_."

"But why?" he asked, confused. "I think what they did to you was far worse."

Her eyes watered. "I came so close to losing you that night, Isaac. You know how much you mean to me, and the thought of having you taken from me…that's more unbearable than anything that happened to me in Tartarus."

"Mia," Isaac began, holding her. "I'll tell you the same thing I did back then; no matter what happens, I promise that nothing will ever keep us apart. You're my soulmate, Mia. I'll _always_ be with you."

She smiled slightly, reassured at least in part by his words. Hearing that vow again made the burden of those memories a little lighter, and she soon found a peaceful sleep there in his arms.

---------------------------------------------------------

Jenna: That was way too centered on Isaac and Mia! This is supposed to be _our_ love story!

Garet: We weren't even _in_ this chapter for crying out loud!

If you recall, there was a chapter in "Against All Odds" that didn't have either Isaac or Mia in it as well. Sometimes the plot has to thicken before we can do the mushy stuff. Don't worry—how could I _possibly_ forget about my two favorite Mars Adepts?

Garet: A likely story. The truth, Midnight!

Jenna: *fire in her fist* You were just going through I/M withdrawal weren't you?!

^^;; Plot advancement! That's all it was, I swear! Um, Chapter 6 under construction. Pray that finals don't impede my progress…


	6. Little Words

My humblest apologies for the huge delay for this chapter. I was caught up writing two ten page term papers and studying for a really evil final in Sociology, plus I went and wrote "The Promise" too and that sucked up what little free time I had. But that's all behind me now, so the fruits of my labors should come a little faster.

Oh, and for those of you who voiced concern about "The Promise" having anything to do with this fic or any of the others, I'll say on record that it doesn't. It was meant to be a completely stand-alone story. I must say I was quite surprised by some of the reactions I got. I knew it was sad in a way, but wasn't it also happy too?

***Little Words***

Jenna yawned when the early dawn light shined down in her eyes. She smiled when she realized she was still leaning against Garet and that one of his arms was still around her waist. For once he wasn't snoring, but the sunshine hadn't disturbed him at all. _He has to be the heaviest sleeper I've ever met_, she thought. _When he's not snoring he almost seems dead_.

"Hey, Garet," she said, shaking him lightly. "Wake up—it's morning." He didn't stir in the least. "Garet," she pressed, raising her voice and shaking him harder. Still no response. Jenna wrinkled her nose and smacked him in the head, which probably hurt her fist more than it hurt him.

"Ow!" he moaned, coming to. "I'm up, I'm up!"

Jenna massaged her knuckles. "About time. Sheesh, you sleep like you're dead."

"And a good morning to you too, Jenna," Garet grumbled lowly. So much for his hopes that she'd be nicer to him after what happened last night. Some things must be too difficult to change. He stretched and yawned, and then a loud growl resonated through the whole forest.

"What was that?" Jenna asked. "I hope it's not another Thunder Lizard!"

"Naw, that's just my stomach," he said.

She smacked him again. "Your _stomach_? It sounds like a whole horde of those creatures!"

"Give me a break—we haven't eaten anything since yesterday. Don't tell me you're not hungry!"

Jenna's own stomach growled quite loudly just then and she blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Well, no sense standing around here thinking about it. Let's go forage."

There was a stream not far from the cluster of trees where they'd slept, so they went to it in hopes of finding some fish to catch. Jenna inspected it more closely and could see a few fat trout wriggling in the water.

"That'll be enough to feed me for sure," said Garet. "What are you going to do, Jenna?"

The reply came in the form of her fist hitting his shoulder. "Don't be a pest. You can't gorge yourself today--not when we have to share scarce resources. Now figure out a way to catch them, or is that too much to ask of that dense brain of yours?"

_Boy is she in a bad mood today_, he thought as he set to work. _Did I do something wrong last night?_ He fashioned a makeshift fishing pole out of a branch, a piece of string, and a busted magic ring that he bent to form a hook. Unfortunately, there was no bait to be had, so he hoped that the shininess of the ring would lure in the fish. He sat on a rock with his line dangling in the water and kept half an eye on Jenna as she made the fire, wondering what he'd done to upset her so much.

"Stop staring at me!" she scowled. "You're making me nervous."

"All right, sorry. Sheesh…"

"Just stay focused on catching our breakfast. If you stretch your concentration too many ways, you'll botch everything!"

He grimaced but figured making a retort wasn't worth the effort. _I haven't seen her this mad since that time I forgot her birthday--and at least then I knew _why_ she was upset! I swear I'll never be able to figure out women._

Eventually he caught three of the trout, and they ate while still trapped in an awkward silence. Jenna barely ate even though she'd been hungry. Why had she yelled at him? The kiss they'd shared last night had been so wonderful, so perfect, and she wasn't mad about it at all. The words were just slipping out that way for some reason--not in joking tone like they should have but in a rather harsh tone. This didn't make sense. Why was she lashing out at him this way?

"Jeez, Jenna--I go through all the trouble of catching those fish and you barely ate. I thought you were hungry."

"Shut up," she said, the words slipping out before she even realized it.

Garet was visibly perturbed now. He could take her usual joking, but not this anger that seemed so unwarranted. "That's it! I am not going to sit here and put up with this attitude of yours a moment longer." He kicked dirt on the fire to extinguish it. "What's the matter with you anyway, Jenna? One night we kiss and the next morning you're treating me like something you stepped in!" He stomped away in a huff, grumbling to himself.

"Wait!" Jenna called, running after him. "Garet, I'm sorry. Please don't walk away from me."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't," he demanded. "You're always doing this to me--making me feel useful and important one moment and then brushing me off the next. I know I'm not a brain and that I'm not perfect, but I don't have to be your whipping boy all the time either. Why can't you cut me some slack?"

"Cut _you_ slack?" she questioned. "I could say the same thing about you. All these mixed messages that you send to me. One minute you're flirting and the next you're all defensive and moody. Maybe I'm always picking on you because you're never telling me what I want to hear. Did that ever occur to you?"

"And what _do_ you want to hear?"

"You can ask that after last night? Didn't you feel _anything_ when you kissed me? Anything at all?"

There was an awkward pause as they both tried to recall the amazing sensation they'd felt. Embers of passion and desire that seemed too powerful to be true. But what did it mean? Was it just the result of their fiery natures mixing, or was it something else? Neither of them was sure, and therein was the problem. Each wondered if the other felt the same way or if the feelings in the kiss were some twisted mistake.

"I know what I felt," Garet said. "But I can't describe it. What would you say it was?"

Jenna hesitated, since she too was unsure of the right words. "Something warm," she finally said. "Something warm, wonderful, and…_beautiful_."

He nodded, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "That seems about right." He turned to her, meeting those lovely dark eyes. He wasn't good at this romantic stuff. Why hadn't he had the good sense to ask Isaac for tips when he'd had the chance?

"What is it, Garet?" she asked, sensing something in his gaze that she couldn't quite place. He looked different from normal somehow. Without warning, he suddenly pulled her into another long, fiery kiss, bringing the same sensation from last night back in full force.

"That's it then," he said when they separated. He had to take the chance now--there was no denying the glory of that kiss. So speaking in an unusually quiet voice, he uttered the four little words she'd wanted to hear. "I love you, Jenna."

Silence held, but it wasn't very awkward this time. It took her a moment to fully realize what he'd said, and then her whole face lit up in a broad smile and she threw her arms around him.

"Garet, you dork! Do you know how long I've wanted you to say that? How badly I've longed to hear those little words?"

Garet was stunned. "You mean…?"

"Yes. I love you too, Garet. I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner, but the words just kept getting stuck."

"I know the feeling, believe me!" He chuckled slightly. "So now what? You know I'm not good at this stuff, Jenna."

Jenna giggled. "I think the kiss is a good starting place. Maybe if we're lucky we'll end up like Isaac and Mia."

"Oh Mars, _anything_ but that!" he moaned. "Those two are pathetic! They're so wrapped up in each other that it would take a damn miracle to unravel them!"

"And you don't want that?" she inquired coyly, leaning on his shoulder and looking up at him with huge eyes.

Garet gulped audibly, feeling his stomach do a couple somersaults. "Er…well…that is…you see…"

"Oh you're _really_ articulate aren't you?" Jenna giggled. "Don't worry, Garet. I won't wrap you around my finger _too_ tightly."

"What makes you think I'll let you do it at all?"

She gave him a rough shove and he stumbled and fell into the stream with a splash. Wet, irritated, and amused, he rose from the shallow water and glared at her. "You wanna play, huh? I'll show you." He tried to splash her, but she skipped further from the edge of the stream to avoid the water. So instead he lunged for her, scooped her up, and threw her kicking and yelling into the stream. She stood up sopping wet and both growled and laughed.

"That was mean!" she said.

"But funny!" he chuckled. "That's a good look for you, Jenna if I do say so myself."

"Har har." She wrung out her hair, still grinning. "Some things never change, do they?"

"I wouldn't want it any other way. Come on--we still have to find the others."

"Right. Where's the trail?"

And then they realized that the footprints were nowhere in sight. They'd either strayed off the trail during the scuffle with the Thunder Lizard last night or the footprints had just vanished. What were they supposed to do now? They were all alone in unfamiliar territory and now their one hope of finding their friends was gone!

"What should we do, Garet?" Jenna asked nervously.

"Panic?" he suggested. She elbowed him.

"Don't go getting dumb on me now! We're still together--we can get through this if we stay cool."

Garet snickered. "Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds? Two _Mars_ Adepts keeping their cool?"

Jenna smiled, relaxed in part by his joke. "I guess that _is_ an unrealistic expectation. But we still can't panic just yet. We'll get out of this mess somehow."

"Perhaps I could be of help?" a voice said. The two whirled to see an all too familiar figure emerging from behind the trees.

"Felix!" they exclaimed together, though Jenna's tone was more surprised while Garet's was clearly angry.

"What are you doing here?" he growled.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," said Jenna happily. "It's been so long since we met at the Jupiter Lighthouse."

"I didn't forget about you, Jenna," Felix said. "You must've known I'd come back eventually."

She nodded. "I'm so glad you're all right."

Garet chose that moment to seize Felix by his tunic and actually lift him up so that only his toes touched the ground. "You have some nerve showing your face around here after all the stunts you've pulled! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear you apart."

"Garet!" Jenna cried in shock. "Put him down this instant!"

"Are you forgetting what he's done, Jenna?" Garet demanded. "He was allied with Saturos and Menardi, lit the beacons, and traded Mia to the Fire Clan!"

"It's nice to see you again too, Garet," Felix said a bit smugly. "I see that not even a year on the road has done anything to curb your temper."

Garet threw him down, stepped on his chest, and pointed the tip of the Silver Blade at his neck. "Don't get cocky with me, Felix. I swear I'll slice you from nape to navel if I have to."

"Stop it!" Jenna ordered, getting more worked up. "You can't hurt him. I forbid it!"

"How can you say that?" Garet growled angrily. "He abandoned you for three whole years and set this whole thing in motion! Why are you defending him? _How_ can you defend him after all of the crap he's pulled?"

"Because he's my _brother_!" Jenna shouted. "And if you don't put your sword away this instant I swear I'll make you." Her right hand started to glow red to drive her words home. He stared at her in shock. Brother or no, Felix had done some truly despicable things and yet she was choosing to defend him! It didn't make any sense at all. And to make it worse, only a few moments ago she'd confessed her love for him and now she was choosing Felix--his sworn enemy--over _him_! Garet's blood boiled as he felt torn between his love for Jenna and his oath to bring Felix to justice. He glowered down at the Venus Adept he had pinned to the ground and very slowly withdrew the Silver Blade and backed away. Jenna helped her brother to his feet.

"I must say that went more smoothly than I expected," he said as he dusted himself off. "Thank you, Jenna."

"You're welcome, but how did you find us, Felix? And not that I care, but where's Alex?"

"I know I owe you an explanation…" Felix began.

"…A damn _good_ explanation," Garet interrupted crossly. "The secrecy, the deception, the betrayal--do I need to go on?"

Felix crossed his arms. "As I was _trying_ to say, I'm here to bring you back to the rest of your little crew."

"I should've known!" Garet fumed. "What have you done with the others?! I swear if you've hurt them in any way I'll…I'll…!"

"Calm down, Garet," said Felix coolly. "They're perfectly safe. In fact, it was I who rescued them from Agatio and Karst. They'd be dead if I hadn't shown up."

"A likely story! Isaac wouldn't have let you walk away--not after what you did to Mia!"

"Can you shut that big trap of yours for even a moment?" Felix inquired, getting annoyed. "If you don't want my help, you're perfectly welcome to wander through the wilderness for the rest of your natural life. It's no concern of mine."

"Felix!" Jenna scowled. "Don't make things worse than they already are." She glared at him. "Don't think that because I defended you that you're also forgiven. I still remember everything you've put Garet and Isaac through. I'm not letting you wiggle out of that without a good explanation!" She turned to Garet and her tone softened considerably. "I know you're reluctant to trust him, but what choice do we have? He knows where Isaac is!"

Garet sighed reluctantly, but was inwardly relieved that she didn't seem blinded by her feelings after all. "OK, OK. Take us to the others, Felix, but I've got my eye on you. One false move and I'll nail you before Jenna has the chance to protect you again."

"Very well," said Felix, tilting an eyebrow. "This way."

Just as they were about to leave, the sound of dozens of flapping wings echoed from above. The three looked up to see a huge flock of Wild Gryphons dive-bombing right for them.

--------------------------------------------------------

I figured since I'm back in the groove of things I'm allowed to leave off at a cliffhanger again. ^_^ Stay tuned for Chapter 7!

On a completely unrelated note, at least three different people have "requested" that I write an Ivan/Sheba story. I think I may have an idea for one, but I want to know if there's a real demand for it before I devote the time and effort to fleshing it out. So just let me know what you think, OK?


	7. Unions

Heh, this chapter was supposed to be up earlier this week but my precious computer decided to crash, taking everything, including my fanfics, with it. T_T Lucky thing I have a fairly decent memory and managed to rewrite this part relatively quickly. If I didn't know better, I'd swear there's some great conspiracy to keep me from writing this story!

Be aware that Felix's explanation is only my own personal guess. I'm sure it's not right, but I honestly don't care. I'd much rather wait and find out everything myself when the Lost Age comes out than go find a bunch of spoilers. Where's the fun in that? ^_^

***Unions***

It was impossible to tell how many Gryphons were in the flock as the three were surrounded in a whirlwind of green feathers. The monstrous bird-like creatures let out ear-piercing shrieks, making it next to impossible to concentrate on fighting the horde. Jenna, having lost her weapon in the battle against the giant Thunder Lizard, focused only on sending out searing balls of flame to keep the Gryphons at bay. Felix and Garet drew their swords and started cutting a swath through the creatures.

"Take this you feathered freaks!" Garet cried as he hacked off the wing in his face. The wing's owner shrieked and let loose a Twin Beaks attack. The razor-sharp projectiles nicked Garet's arms and his cheek, but that was hardly enough to slow him down. He quickly stabbed the beast, rendering it to ashes, and moved on to the next Gryphon.

Felix leaped high into the air, coming to land on the back of one of the bird creatures. He cut its throat and jumped to the back of the next one and repeated, nimbly using the backs of the Gryphons as stepping stones the whole way. After killing a sixth one, however, the rest of them got wise to his plan and converged around him as he made another flying leap. A fury of feather-shaped projectiles came at him full tilt. Felix quickly countered with Clay Spire, but the Venus Psynergy was nothing to the Gryphons. He couldn't dodge the onslaught in time and crashed to the ground, bleeding in several places. Jenna went to his side but he was already rising and casting Cure on his wounds.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes, but we've got trouble." More Gryphons were flying in from further above in a seemingly endless swarm. Garet backed away from the growing flock to join his two companions.

"For every one we destroy two more come out to fight!" he exclaimed.

"We must've stumbled into their nesting grounds," said Jenna fearfully. "We can't beat all of them by ourselves!"

"Then I suggest we retreat," Felix said.

"How are we supposed to do that, smart guy?" Garet inquired. "We're surrounded!"

The Gryphons charged in for their hapless prey with a loud cry. Jenna latched on to Garet and prepared for the expected nasty demise. But then the sky suddenly darkened and a flash bolt of electricity hit the swarm with deadly accuracy. The Gryphons howled loud enough to shake the heavens, and as they were forced to scatter, the heroes were allowed to see the source of the offensive blast.

"Ivan!" Garet cried in relief. "I never thought I'd be this glad to see you!"

"You can't stay out of trouble for a moment, can you?" Ivan questioned jokingly. He looked to where the Gryphons were regrouping. "Brace yourselves--here they come again." He lifted his staff and cast Shine Plasma, deep frying a pair of the unruly creatures. The rest circled in the sky and started dive-bombing back towards the four.

Jenna sent out another barrage of fireballs, burning one to a crisp. Felix and Garet jumped back into the fray with their swords, and as Garet sliced a Gryphon in half, he spotted the rest of the missing crew fighting the horde as well. Mia was blasting them with waves of jagged icicles while Sheba had moved over to Ivan and they both used their most powerful attacks together. The Gryphons dropped like flies against the electrifying might of Jupiter. And as Garet took another hit from a Twin Beaks attack, he immediately felt a familiar power heal him.

"Having fun yet?" Isaac asked.

"What took you so long?" Garet questioned back with a grin.

Isaac grinned in return. The Gaia Blade turned red as he charged it with Bane's power. He leaped and stabbed one of the birds and a few moments later it sputtered and dissolved to ashes, the poison having done its job. The sound of more lightening bolts followed by pained Gryphon shrieks echoed from behind and the battle abruptly ended. The remaining half-dozen creatures flew away, not wishing to end up like the rest of their flock.

"What a relief," Jenna sighed. "You guys have perfect timing."

"Naturally," Ivan said confidently.

"Are you two all right?" Mia asked. "We were really worried."

"It was mutual," Jenna replied. "We didn't think we'd ever see any of you again!"

Garet scowled. "Didn't you trust my tracking skills at all?"

"Garet, this _is_ you we're talking about here," said Jenna with a wide smile. Everyone except Garet laughed.

"Where have you been this whole time?" he asked to change the subject.

"We were with Picard," Isaac answered, motioning to the Lemurian who had previously gone unnoticed by the Mars Adepts. "He rescued us from Karst and Agatio but apparently didn't notice you two since you were buried under the ruins. I see that neither of your hard heads were damaged too greatly from that."

"Hey!" Jenna and Garet exclaimed together indignantly.

"We struck out to find you this morning," said Sheba. "Since you hadn't come to us, we thought we'd come to you instead."

"And we were on our way to meet up with you before the Gryphons attacked," Jenna said. "Felix came along to guide us."

Felix didn't flinch at the hard looks being given to him by Picard, Garet, Isaac, Ivan and Sheba. He simply crossed his arms and stared right back at them emotionlessly. Mia partially hid herself behind Isaac so she wouldn't have to meet the gaze. Even though his eyes looked completely neutral, they left her very uneasy.

"They told you, didn't they Picard?" Felix questioned after a few silent minutes. "About everything I've done?"

"Yes," Picard replied. "You have quite a bit of explaining to do, my friend. Why would you want to light the Lighthouse flames? And what in Mercury's name possessed you to trade Lady Mia to the Fire Clan?"

"They had the Jupiter Star," said Felix plainly. "I could not allow those people to keep such an important object, and they wouldn't give it to me unless they got something of great value in return. I'm not proud of what I did, but sometimes sacrifices must be made to serve a greater good."

"And that rationale is supposed to make everything all right, huh?" Isaac inquired, approaching Felix. "You have a lot of nerve trying to talk your way out of something so criminal. You knew full well what those monsters would do to Mia and you went and gave her to them anyway." He tightened his fists and suddenly decked Felix right in the face, knocking him down. And much like Garet had earlier, he took his sword and stuck the tip of it right at Felix's throat.

"Isaac!" Jenna called. "Please don't!"

"Stay out of this, Jenna," said Isaac in an unusually harsh tone. It stunned the others into silence. He turned back to Felix, his blue eyes looking ready to exact revenge.

"Do you finally have the guts to do it?" Felix asked. "I distinctly remember you getting me into a similar position at the Jupiter Lighthouse and you couldn't do it then. Something tells me that hasn't changed."

"Is this some kind of game to you?" Isaac demanded angrily. "Do you enjoy hurting people or is that another thing you're 'not proud' of?"

Felix kept his face straight. "For what it's worth, Isaac, I truly am sorry for putting you and your friends through all of this. It was never my intention to hurt or involve any of you in this mess. Things just got out of control. And I am glad to see that you managed to rescue your friend from Agatio's people. Knowing you they got a taste of what they deserved."

Isaac pressed his blade a little further. "Everything in me is screaming to cut your throat. I hope you know that."

"I don't doubt it. And I can't say I don't deserve to be punished for some of the things I've done. But you have to believe me when I say that it was all to attain a much bigger goal. In all the years you've known me, have I ever lied about something important?"

"No, but I don't think you're the same Felix I remember from years ago."

"Perhaps I'm not. But then, I'm not the only one who's changed." He held Isaac's gaze. "If you're going to do it, just get it over with. Put an end to this insanity and go back home to Vale. Do it if it's what you truly want."

There was a brief silence as the two Venus Adepts stayed locked in their gaze. The point of the Gaia Blade trembled in hesitation but didn't move away from its target. And then a hand lit upon Isaac's left shoulder.

"Let him go, Isaac," Mia said softly. "This isn't right."

"You really believe that after what he did to you?" Isaac inquired, turning to her. "You really want him to go unpunished for that?"

Mia shook her head. "Not like this. This isn't _your_ way, Isaac."

Isaac turned back to Felix, still unsure of what he wanted to do. He gripped his sword tighter and thrust it forward…into the ground. As mad as he was, killing Felix still wouldn't accomplish anything. Jenna would be without her only family and he'd have to live with the deed for the rest of his life. The past couldn't be changed anyway, so why did it matter? Mia was safe now. Slowly, he withdrew the Gaia Blade and slipped it into his scabbard, backing a few steps away. Mia hugged him as Felix rose and the others, particularly Jenna, sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Isaac," Jenna said.

"Only a truly gallant man can spare the life of his enemy," Picard agreed.

"There are still a lot of unanswered questions though," said Ivan. "Do you intend to continue keeping us in the dark about your plans, Felix, or will you finally reveal what all of this about?"

"Yeah, you're not off the hook yet," Garet added. "Either come clean now or we'll haul your butt to the nearest jailhouse and leave you there!"

Felix actually cracked a small smile. "I suppose I can live with that. Where would you like me to start?"

"Perhaps the Lighthouse business," Picard suggested. "Why is there a need to ignite the flames? That power was sealed away long ago for a reason. Unleashing Alchemy could destroy the world!"

"It is true that Alchemy is a dangerous force," Felix began. "But it's only dangerous if it's misused. Long ago that power flowed freely throughout the world, giving birth to the various races of Adepts."

"Because Psynergy is rooted in Alchemy," Sheba said.

"Right," Felix nodded. "Our ancestors were the guardians of that power and everything was peaceful among the races. It was only when one small tribe of greedy Mars Adepts tried to usurp Alchemy's power that everyone realized how dangerous it could be."

"That must've been Agatio's clan," said Ivan. "I can't imagine any other group wanting to do such a thing."

"It remains a great bitterness in the Fire Clan to this day," Felix said. "Saturos couldn't stop raving about it during the three years I was with him. Our ancestors sealed away Alchemy in order to prevent the Fire Clan from gaining the unlimited power they wanted. They hid the Elemental Stars in Sol Sanctum where no one would ever be able to find them--at least in theory. The Adept tribes were scattered across the world to guard the Lighthouses, Sol Sanctum, and the ancient secrets. But of course, a lot of things get lost with time no matter how hard one tries to remember."

Picard nodded in agreement. "Not even the oldest citizens of Lemuria were around in the days when Alchemy was free. That was a very long time ago. Some say it was the pinnacle of our civilization."

"It was," Felix continued. "Ever since Alchemy was sealed away, the Adept races have slowly been dying off. Without Alchemy, the very root of our talents, people like us will eventually cease to be born."

There was a long pause as everyone absorbed this. No more Adepts? What kind of place would the world be without Psynergy users? It seemed impossible to imagine.

"So you're trying to light the flames so our bloodlines won't die out, is that it?" Isaac asked.

"Yes," said Felix. "Alchemy is our life-blood. Without it, the clans of Venus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter will all die out, never to return. We all know we're the only ones capable of maintaining order in this world. If we cease to exist, all of the knowledge about the Lighthouses and Psynergy will go with us. We can't let that happen! If ordinary people are left to guide Alchemy, what else can ensue but war, pestilence and an endless struggle for power? There must be knowledgeable Adepts around to guard that power and ensure that it isn't misused."

"But what about the Fire Clan?" Jenna asked. "It's obvious that they have no intention of protecting that power but only of using it for their own selfish ambitions."

"And the Wise One," Garet added. "If Alchemy is so darn important, why did it want us to stop you?"

"The Wise One is the appointed guardian of the Stars," Felix explained. "It exists only to make sure that the Lighthouses are never re-ignited. I have a feeling we may have to fight it if we wish to light the Mars Beacon." He bit his lower lip at the thought. "As for Agatio, we just have to make sure he and his people are out of the picture."

"Easier said than done," said Ivan.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Isaac asked. "Instead of slinking around and acting like you were in with Saturos and Menardi?"

"I wasn't sure you'd understand. I only stayed with them to watch out for Jenna and Kraden. My intention was to get rid of them before they had the chance to light the last beacon." He cracked another rare smile. "You did the hard part for me."

Isaac smiled very slightly. "You owe us then." He rifled through his pockets and pulled out the Mythril bag containing the Mars Star. "If I don't cooperate, you'll be meaning to take this from me, correct?"

"Nothing will stop me from saving our future," Felix replied. "Not even you, Isaac."

"Then that leaves me with only one choice," said Isaac. He put the Mars Star away again. "I will have to help you."

"Are you serious?" Garet demanded. "How do we know he's telling the truth? This could just be some crazy story he made up to get the Mars Star!"

Sheba's eyes glowed a moment. "No, Garet. He's telling the truth as he knows it. The Adepts will die out if the flames are not lit, and if we don't do it, Agatio certainly will. We cannot allow that power to fall into the Fire Clan's possession."

"Agreed," Ivan added. "Perhaps it would be wise to put our differences aside for the time being."

"Please, Garet?" Jenna questioned with pleading eyes. He sighed in resignation, realizing he was outnumbered. And he never could resist that particular look from Jenna.

"Then it's settled," said Picard. "Where do we go from here?"

"You have a ship, don't you?" Felix said. "I think I know the way to the Mars Lighthouse, but we must cross the sea."

"I thought you had one too?" Ivan questioned.

"It was destroyed during a storm a few weeks ago. I've been stranded alone here ever since until I met up with Picard. That's also how I got separated from Alex. I don't know what happened to him, but I'm sure he survived. He has many talents."

"Alex must've known of your plans, then," said Mia quietly. "Then he really _did_ light the Mercury Beacon for his clan…" She suddenly felt a little guilty at how she'd thought of him since that day.

"Yes," Felix said. "Alex and I were plotting to turn against Saturos and Menardi when the time was right."

"Say Felix," Jenna began. "Whatever happened to Kraden?"

Felix blushed in embarrassment. "Well, he was with us for awhile, but we sort of lost track of him when the Fire Clan ambushed us and stole the Jupiter Star. The old man's probably wandering around Hesperia annoying random people with his questions."

Jenna, Garet and Isaac groaned in understanding, since their teacher had the habit of droning on endlessly when he got excited. "That's another errand we'll have to run, I suppose," said Isaac.

"Maybe it's for the best that he's not here," Garet said. "Kraden always did give me a headache."

"That's just because you never understood anything he said," Jenna retorted.

"I did too!" Garet scowled. "I'm not a complete moron!"

"Only a partial one," she said with a laugh. He grumbled audibly and she pecked him on the cheek. "Don't worry, Garet. I wouldn't want you any other way."

"Looks like those two _did_ spend some quality time together," Mia whispered in Isaac's ear.

"Indeed." He looked at her thoughtfully. "Are you all right with this, Mia? Being around Felix isn't going to make you too uneasy, is it?"

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. I'm with you, Isaac. That's all I need."

-----------------------------------------------------

If you think this is the end you'll have a surprise coming your way! ^_^


	8. Trials and Tribulations

You know a story's taken on some sort of life of its own when spin-offs start appearing. Thanks again, Akiko for your little side story with Alex and Kraden. It really made my day! ^_^

This chapter probably sucks since I'm not that great at writing comedy, but I had a lot of fun with it anyway. If I get at least one giggle out of you then I'll consider my humble efforts worth it.

***Trials and Tribulations***

The group made their way back towards the ruins and the town where the Lemurian ship was docked. Jenna was having more fun than usual pestering Garet and she hung onto him like a bad case of static cling. He grumbled and complained like he normally did, but it was obvious to all of the onlookers that he really didn't mean it at all. As far as Isaac could tell, his best friend had never seemed happier, and neither had Jenna.

"Well it's good to see that the two of you finally resolved your differences," said Ivan. "There's hope for this world yet if even someone like Garet can find true love."

"What the heck's that supposed to mean, Ivan?" Garet demanded.

Ivan grinned mischievously. "Absolutely nothing." Sheba giggled under her breath.

"This is quite the merry little crew of lovebirds, isn't it?" Picard inquired. "We should make a point to find more female Adepts on our travels, shouldn't we, Felix?"

Felix was frowning slightly at the sight of his sister hanging all over Garet. "Jenna, of all people why did it have to be _him_?"

"Oh shut up, Felix," said Jenna. "You've known how I've felt about him for years."

"But he's so…so…" Felix couldn't find the right word.

"Oafish?" Ivan suggested. He counted off on his fingers. "Moronic? Clumsy? Stupid? Hard-headed? A human garbage disposal…?"

"Ivan, I am going to give you such a thrashing!" Garet growled. "You'll be sorry you were ever rescued from Agatio!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" Ivan returned, running ahead of the group. Garet wiggled himself free of Jenna and followed, but Ivan was far too quick to catch. He ducked behind a tree and pulled a branch towards him. As Garet approached, Ivan let the branch loose and it snapped back, knocking Garet to the ground.

"Ow…" he moaned. "That was a really dirty trick, Ivan."

"And you fell for it completely. Of course I wouldn't have expected anything less from you."

The others caught up and Jenna helped Garet back to his feet. Then she turned to Ivan. "Why are you always picking on my Garet?! You know damn well that's _my_ job and no one else's!"

"Boy Jenna, you really know how to make a guy feel loved," Garet groaned. Jenna smiled innocently at him, making her eyes big and soulful.

"Garet dear, you know that I live to keep you on your toes." She squeezed his arm and placed her head on his shoulder. "You like it--admit it."

"I admit to nothing!" he declared as he looked down at her. Her smile broadened and a lump suddenly formed in his throat. "Well…maybe…"

"And this is the guy who was accusing _me_ of being twisted around a woman's finger!" Isaac laughed.

Garet promptly shook himself free of Jenna's iron grasp. "I will _never_ be as pathetic as you, Isaac!"

"Never is an awfully long time," said Isaac, still chortling. "I'd say you're well on the road to total pathetic-ness."

"Take that back!"

Jenna feigned looking hurt. "But I love you, Garet! Don't you love me too?"

"It's not that, Jenna. It's…"

"You don't love me!" Jenna wailed. She buried her face in her hands and emitted fake sobs, which naturally made Garet quite uneasy.

"Jenna!" he pleaded nervously. "Don't cry! I'm sorry!"

She giggled, lifting her head. "Gotcha, Garet. See? You _are_ just as bad as Isaac--if not worse."

Everyone else laughed as Garet's face turned the color of his element. No matter what he did he always ended up the butt of every joke. Mia shook her head as she laughed. "You certainly do have quite a hold over him don't you, Jenna? Could you give me lessons?"

"Lessons?" Isaac inquired. "I think you're quite good at it already!"

"It wouldn't hurt to have a little insurance though," she teased. Isaac smirked and nudged her with his elbow. Mia giggled and hugged him.

"It doesn't seem so bad being under a woman's sway," Jenna said.

"Well, the thing is that Isaac _likes_ it," Garet griped. "Some of us would prefer retaining a degree of independence."

"Hmmm….those vocabulary lessons really seem to be working," Ivan muttered.

"That's _it_, Ivan!" Garet roared. "When I get my hands on you…!"

"You still have to catch me first!"

Felix and Picard scratched their heads. "Quite a colorful crew you've gathered here, Isaac," Felix said.

"I see little has changed since we met in Lemuria," Picard added.

Isaac shrugged. "Well, you know the old saying--you can take Garet out of Vale but you can't take the oaf out of Garet."

"Who in Angara said that?" Sheba asked.

"I think it was his mother."

************

"I hate rain," Garet complained when they'd stopped for the night. They'd set up camp in the shelter of the ancient temple, since it was the only building that didn't look ready to fall apart. A steady drizzle was falling outside, and it could be heard echoing from above as it soaked the structure.

"Pipe down," said Picard. "The rain is a necessary and beautiful thing. Without it, our whole world would turn to dust."

"Don't mind him, Picard," Isaac said. "He's a hydrophobe."

"I don't doubt it," the Lemurian replied. "I never met a Mars Adept that wasn't."

"Stop calling me names!" Garet cried.

"Garet," Sheba began calmly. "A hydrophobe is simply someone who's afraid of water."

He blushed slightly in embarrassment. "I knew that."

Jenna smiled. "Don't let them bother you, Garet. I hate the water just as much as you do."

"I'm just glad I'm not the only one."

"Rain doesn't bother me," said Sheba. "But it _is_ a bit drafty in here." She huddled a little closer to the fire and to Ivan.

"Want me to start another fire?" Jenna asked.

"No, that's all right," Sheba answered quickly, knowing that Jenna would burn the whole place down if given the opportunity. Sometimes she was a little _too_ fond of her element.

"Suit yourself." Jenna hugged her knees, leaning her head on Garet's shoulder. "As much as I hate water, I'll be glad to get back to our ship. It's safer there."

"I do hope we don't run into Agatio and Karst again," Ivan said. "I'd prefer to get some more training in before our next encounter."

General nods of agreement passed around the group. "Of course now you've probably jinxed it, Ivan," Felix said.

"Aw, those two freaks don't scare me," Garet declared. "Their full of hot air."

"Not unlike another Mars Adept I know," said Isaac. Garet reached over and cuffed him in the shoulder.

"For one night can I _not_ bear the brunt of everyone's jokes?!"

"Nope," Isaac replied. Garet grumbled audibly as usual.

"Well what do you expect?" Ivan inquired. "You're the one who gave us such classic comic moments as the bathroom incident the other night."

"Bathroom incident?" Picard questioned. "I'm not sure I want to know."

"Please don't ever mention that again," said Jenna as she blushed.

"All right, now you have to spill," Felix said. "What's this all about, Jenna?"

"It's nothing, Felix," she said. "I was taking a bath at the inn we were staying at, and Garet accidentally walked in on me. Nothing happened."

Felix's face darkened as he stared incredulously at Garet. "You saw my sister _naked_?"

"Only for a moment!" Garet said nervously. "It's not like I _knew_ she was in there!"

"You violated her privacy!" Felix accused. "No one's allowed to see _that_ side of Jenna!"

"Felix!" Jenna scowled. "It was an accident! Leave him alone!"

"Don't look at me like that, Felix!" said Garet.

"You walked in on her!"

"By accident! I didn't even enjoy it--trust me!"

"Are you saying my sister's ugly?"

Garet cowered. "No, no! Of course not!"

"Felix!" Jenna cried in protest again. The rest of the crew just laughed.

"Poor Garet," said Ivan. "Bad luck follows him everywhere."

"He's not going to be able to sweet-talk his way out of this, that's for sure," Isaac sighed. "I'd feel sorry for him if it weren't so funny."

Picard grinned. "No I remember why I missed all of you so much. There's never a dull moment when I'm with this crowd."

************

"Are you asleep, Mia?" Jenna whispered.

"No, why?"

"No reason. Just wondering if anyone else was still awake."

The temple was silent save for the faint noises of their sleeping companions and the sound of the falling rain outside. Since he minded the rain the least, Picard was currently standing guard by the door. Jenna and Mia were laying close enough together to see each other's faces in the dim light, and they were huddled against their respective loves.

"That was quite the commotion with your brother earlier," Mia whispered. "I thought he was going to rip Garet's head clear off his shoulders!"

Jenna wrinkled her nose. "He's willing to leave me alone on a floating island but he goes ballistic if a boy's interested in me. I'll never figure out big brothers."

"You're lucky to have someone looking out for you like that, though."

"Perhaps. It doesn't bother you having him around, does it? I know what he did is impossible to forgive."

"No, I'm all right, really. Felix seems different to me now, somehow. After hearing his explanation, his actions make more sense. And I know the rest of you won't let him pull anything like that again, so having him here doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would."

"I'm glad to hear that, Mia." Garet snorted a bit in his sleep and the two girls giggled softly.

"A gentleman he's not," whispered Mia.

"He's hopeless all right," Jenna agreed. "I don't know what I'm going to do with him. You'd think spending as much time with Isaac as he does that some of the good habits would rub off."

"Oh Isaac has his quirks too. I think they're just less obvious."

"Like?"

Mia smiled and reached over to whisper something in Jenna's ear. "No!" Jenna exclaimed almost too loudly.

"Yes!" Mia insisted. "Don't tell him I told you--he'd die of embarrassment."

"My lips are sealed then." She lifted an eyebrow. "I'll be--you learn something new everyday."

"Indeed." Mia pressed herself closer to Isaac. "For all their faults though, I think we're both very lucky to have them."

Jenna nodded. "Garet's not perfect, but I wouldn't trade him for anything. I love him despite all his flaws--maybe even because of them."

"I'm very happy for both of you. Mercury knows it took you long enough!"

"Hey!"

"I'm just kidding. I know how hard it is to work these things out. And sometimes what seems obvious to everyone else can go unnoticed by you for years. Love is funny that way."

They listened to the rain outside and Garet's snoring, which was steadily escalating in volume. "And to think I might have a whole lifetime of this to look forward to," Jenna sighed.

Mia giggled. "There are worse things he could do in his sleep. Goodnight, Jenna."

"Goodnight, Mia."

---------------------------------------------

Yeah, I know that wasn't the greatest chapter I've ever written, but I wanted to give Felix a chance to play "big brother." Hope it was at least a little funny. I'll make up for the lackluster-ness next time.


	9. Fire vs Fire

Well, here it is—the last chapter. I always have mixed feelings about finishing a fic, but it can't be helped. So without any further small talk from me, please read on…

***Fire vs. Fire***

The sky was still gray and bleak in the morning, though the rain had finally stopped. Mia was the first to step outside of the temple and she inhaled the fresh air deeply.

"I'm glad there's someone else who appreciates the rain," said Picard as he came up behind her.

"I've always loved the way the air smells after a good rainstorm," she said. "It's such a cool, earthy scent."

Picard nodded. "Does your love for this scent have anything to do with a certain someone?"

Mia smiled. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't. I don't know if anyone else has ever noticed it, but Isaac smells much the same way."

"Well I suppose that makes sense given his element."

"At least it's better than smelling like some other things in this world," Isaac said. He wrapped his arms around Mia's waist. "Do I really smell like that?"

"You do," Mia replied. "But don't let it concern you. I love the way you smell."

"Shall I wake the others?" Picard asked.

"Yes," said Isaac. "If you have trouble rousing Garet, just get Jenna to do it. I'm sure she won't mind."

"We definitely need more female Adepts in this crew," Picard mumbled as he went back inside.

"Sheba's the only one left without a significant other," Mia said. "And I get the feeling that may not last."

"Probably not." Isaac thought he heard something just then and started looking around.

"What is it, Isaac?"

"I don't know." He paced a few steps from Mia, coming fully out into the open. All he could see were the ruins and the gray sky—nothing out of the ordinary. But something rustled, and then one of the broken buildings crumbled a little more, as if it had been jostled. He drew his sword. "All right, I know someone's there. Come on out and show yourself!"

More rustling and then a huge fireball came flying out from behind the ruins Isaac had his back to. The Gaia Blade spun through the air and planted itself near the temple entrance as its owner was tossed in another direction entirely. Mia shrieked in surprise and fear and started running for Isaac when another fireball appeared and threw her against the side of the temple. As she slowly looked up, she saw Agatio and Karst appear from behind two different ruined buildings.

"I knew you'd come back through here eventually," said Agatio. "We've been waiting for you."

Isaac pulled himself up, gritting his teeth, and cast Cure to numb the burn on his back. He started to go to Mia and his sword when Agatio leapt in front of him. "Going somewhere? I'm putting an end to this now once and for all!"

Luckily, the others had heard Mia's scream and came outside. Upon seeing their guests, they quickly pulled out their weapons and prepared for another long fight. Jenna had borrowed a staff from Sheba to replace the one she lost the other day. Karst stuck out her scythe to prevent them from advancing further.

"So you came back for more, Felix?" she inquired. "Do you intend to fight us after all our Clan did for you?"

"What ever made you think that I owe you?" Felix returned with a hard stare.

Picard unleashed a frigid ice blast to get Karst out of their way. He went to help Mia while the others fanned out. Garet picked up the Gaia Blade and threw it to Isaac, who caught it and set his sights on Agatio.

"We've got greater numbers this time, Agatio," Isaac said. "Don't think that your tricks will work on us a second time."

"Don't be so sure of that, boy." He brought his huge sword down against the Gaia Blade, the familiar sound of clashing steel resonating across the area. As he used his huge muscles to push his opponent backwards, Isaac's sword glowed and he swiftly wrenched it away and struck hard with Flint's power. The blow pierced Agatio's armor and blood slowly leaked in a long line down his chest. But he smiled evilly and unleashed a horrible attack; a stream of fire shaped like a dragon that wrapped around Isaac and hoisted him into the air. He tried to wrestle free, but it seemed impossible to focus on anything except the charring pain of the fire. The flame dragon dropped him when he was quite high up and he crashed to the ground, unable to move.

"Isaac!" Mia cried from where she was across the clearing. She and Picard, along with Jenna, Felix and Ivan, had been trying to avoid getting incinerated by Karst's constant jets of flame. Picard created a deluge to distract her so that Mia could get by. Agatio was already preparing to deliver a final finishing blow to his quarry when he was struck from behind by a lightening bolt from Sheba. When he spun to swipe at her, his sword clashed against Garet's Silver Blade.

"Hurry, Mia!" he said as he fought the other Mars Adept.

Mia got to Isaac's side and put all the strength she could muster into her Ply spell. Isaac got to his knees afterwards but was leaning on the Gaia Blade for support. "That was fun," he panted. "Thanks for the save, Mia."

"Anytime." Another stray blast of flame came their way and she cast Ice Missile to cancel it out. "Can you still fight?"

"The spirit's willing," was all he said. He forced himself to stand and jumped back into the fray to aid Garet.

Karst cackled loudly as she brought her scythe down upon Felix, slicing his forearm open in a nasty gash. He naturally recoiled in pain and Ivan threw out a Tempest to retaliate quickly. She avoided it however, and sent out more fire. Jenna leapt through the flames and attempted to smack Karst with her staff, which didn't work since Karst saw her coming. The two female Mars Adepts sized each other up a moment before beginning to cast Psynergy at each other with alarming speed. Jenna dodged without much trouble, but so too did Karst.

Picard healed Felix's arm and formed the biggest geyser he could, soaking Karst to the bone and washing her a short distance away. "They never learn, do they?"

"Damn idiots!" Jenna scowled. "They're always making our lives so _difficult_!"

Garet kept trying to hit Agatio with the Aqua Sock unleash but he always saw it coming. Mia was trying every attack she knew to try and slow him down, but it wasn't working and her power was rapidly depleting. Isaac was having a hard time fighting since he was still pretty hurt from the last attack, and Sheba's Psynergy wasn't connecting full force. Trails of the lightening and Plasma blasts would hit Agatio, but he managed to stay out of the centers of the attacks. It was very frustrating. Agatio seemed to relish it though, and smirked as he used his sword and his fireballs to keep his adversaries occupied. The harder they tried, the easier it appeared to get for him.

Picard had his sword locked against Karst's scythe. Physically he had the upper hand she was quite a bit faster in every respect, including spell casting. A lava stream popped up underneath him, throwing him against the side of the temple. Felix cast Ragnarok, and it initially appeared to hit her. When the Psynergenic light faded, however, she was unharmed and lunged for Felix. Ivan tried Destruct Ray to help, but was greeted with a huge fiery blast that sent him crashing into Picard's unmoving form. Felix brought up his sword again, catching it in the crux of the scythe. She smirked at him wickedly, her expression capable of making even a stoic fighter like Felix feel ill.

"You're history," she hissed. And she too blasted Felix with a scorching blast, sending him to join Ivan and Picard. Jenna was at their sides, but they weren't moving.

"Mia!" she called. "We need some of that Ply stuff _now_!"

"I'm a bit busy!" Mia called back. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and cast Ice Missile at the same time Sheba tried her Spark Plasma. Agatio didn't like that, of course, and created one huge fireball in his hands. He aimed it for Mia, but it suddenly split into four parts and hit everyone around him instead. Garet took the hit with only a grunt, but the flames knocked Isaac, Sheba and Mia around like leaves in the wind, and they fell down on top of each other. Not a single one of them moved. Karst went over to join Agatio as Jenna and Garet met each other opposite them. The four Mars Adepts stared each other down, preparing for the final leg of the battle.

"What do we do now?" Jenna asked.

"You're asking _me_?!" Garet exclaimed. "Two Mars Adepts against two more powerful Mars Adepts. What do you think we do?"

Jenna frowned. "We fight fire _with_ fire, that's what! We can't give up now—they're weakening!"

He looked at her questioningly. "Are you serious?"

"I think I have an idea, Garet, but I'll need your help."

"Give it up," Karst sneered. "Or would you rather end up like your friends?"

"Shut up!" Garet barked. "We're not losing to you sideshow freaks now!" He turned back to Jenna. "What's your idea?"

"I'm not sure if it'll work, but maybe if we combine our Psynergy, we can create a blast big enough to knock them out."

"You call that an idea?! That'll never work!"

"It's better than being made extra crispy by them! Come on, Garet—just trust me!"

Garet relented, since they didn't have many options at their fingertips. And he certainly _did_ trust Jenna's judgment. She took both of his hands and they interlocked their fingers. Slowly, a red aura began to surround the two of them as they called up their Psynergy reserves. Karst and Agatio just snickered at them.

"Do you really think your weaker fire powers will hurt us?" Agatio inquired. "You'll have to do better than that!"

"Much better!" his companion added.

"I don't think they're taking us seriously, Jenna," Garet said with a smirk. He could feel the inferno building up between them, ready to be unleashed and sear everything it touched to a crisp. What an amazing power! Why hadn't they ever done this before? This roaring fire he felt was simply incredible—impossible to describe accurately. He smiled at Jenna, and she smiled back, obviously enjoying the sensation just as much.

"Shall we show them what we're made of, Garet?" she asked.

"Let's."

They aimed their interlocked hands at their opponents and cried out "_Pyroclasm_!" The earth cracked open and four waterfalls of molten lava burst forth from the ground underneath Karst and Agatio. Fire Clan warriors or no, they couldn't withstand this direct hit, and it was all the more powerful since two Adepts fed it. They howled loudly from within the fiery bath, the sounds of their screams almost forcing the rest of the ruins to collapse. It seemed to last for hours, but the lava torrents eventually disappeared and both Karst and Agatio dropped to the ground. Karst didn't stir, and Agatio very slowly got to his knees, glowering at the other two Mars Adepts.

"Dammit!" he cursed. His partner was down for the count and he was no longer in any shape to fight. "This isn't over. Not for a moment!" He got to his feet, threw Karst over his shoulder, and vanished into the thicket.

"All right!" Garet exclaimed. "That was awesome, Jenna!"

"Thank you. But I couldn't have done it without you, Garet. We do make one amazing team."

Atop the temple, a lone shadow was watching the group as they reconvened and tended to their injuries. He looked down at them with a bit of longing but decided that now wasn't the right time to reveal himself. He swept his blue hair out of his face and left the ruins.

"Good luck to all of you," Alex whispered. "We'll meet again soon."

************

Garet sat down on one of the barrels on the dock next to Isaac. "Felix and Picard are putting the last of the supplies in the hold."

"We'll be off soon, then," Isaac said absently. He was staring out across the sea, wondering where it would take them next. Lalivero? Hesperia? The Mars Lighthouse? His friend looked on with him in complete silence, the only sounds being those of the breeze and the rolling waves.

"Hey Isaac?"

"Yeah?"

"We're pretty powerful Adepts, aren't we?"

"I'd say that's a safe assumption to make."

"Did you ever wonder how weird it is that we're under the total control of _girls_?"

Isaac chuckled. "You're right. As powerful as we are, Jenna and Mia are even more so since they have us at their beck and call."

"And that's a good thing, right?" Isaac nodded in response, and Garet sighed. "Well, at least now I know my one weakness."

"Love isn't a weakness, Garet. It's a strength. Just think of how empty all of our fighting and traveling would seem if we didn't have that emotion motivating us to give it everything we have. Love enriches our souls and brightens our lives. Where would we be without it?"

Garet shrugged. "I never thought of it that way, I guess. How'd you get to be so philosophical? Too much time with Kraden?"

"No. My father told me that a long, long time ago."

"There you are!" Jenna exclaimed, coming up behind Garet and throwing her arms around his neck. "I've been looking for you."

"What'd I do this time?" Garet asked.

"Nothing yet," she said. "I just wanted to be with my big, brave lummox."

Garet groaned. "Jenna, sometimes I feel like we're already married."

"Mission accomplished then." She squeezed him and kissed his cheek. "You're so cute when you're flustered!"

Isaac smirked at the two of them when he felt arms around his own neck. "Maybe we should rename out ship 'the Love Boat,'" Mia suggested.

"That might be appropriate given our situation," Isaac agreed. "Although Babi might not appreciate our painting such words on his boat."

"Hey, Mia," Jenna said. "We should double date sometime!"

"This is getting old," Garet muttered.

"They make such a cute couple," said Mia.

"Cuter than us?" Isaac asked.

"_Nobody_ can compare to us, Isaac," she said with a giggle. "But they're pretty close."

"Moving on," Garet said quickly. "Where are we off to now?"

"Wherever the sea takes us," Isaac replied. The others gave him a funny look. "I always wanted to say that."

"Seriously, Isaac," said Jenna.

"I feel bad about leaving Kraden wandering around in the wilderness, so I think we're heading to Hesperia to find him. Then we'll go find the Mars Lighthouse and hopefully head back home after that."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Mia said. "Though it almost sounds too easy."

"With our luck, we'll get swept up in another stupid side quest," Garet sighed.

"Well, whatever happens, at least we have each other, Garet," Jenna said coyly.

"Lucky me," he muttered.

"Hey!" She hit him in the shoulder. He elbowed her in return.

"Some things never change," said Isaac wistfully.

"Yup," Mia agreed. "They're utterly hopeless."

*~_The End_~*

And on that cheerful note, "Embers" is now complete. As always, thanks so much for reading and reviewing, everyone! I can't tell you how much I appreciate the feedback. I hope you enjoyed it. See ya around! ^_^


End file.
